0 


vAvSi 


tutt 


BUCK  JONES  at  ANNAPOLIS 


"And  lashed  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  the  fore  lift." 

[Page  266] 


BUCK   JONES 

at 

ANNAPOLIS 


RICHMOND   PEARSON    HOBSON 

AUTHOR  OF 
"THE  SINKING  OF  THE  MEEBIMAC" 


D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 
NEW    YORK  MCMVII 


COPYRIGHT,  1907,  BY 
D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Published  September,  1907 


CONTENTS 


I. — BUCK  DECIDES  ON  ANNAPOLIS 1 

II. — BUCK'S  BOYHOOD  TRIALS 4 

III. — BUCK  STARTS  ON  HIS  JOURNEY  TO  ANNAPOLIS  ...     10 

IV. — BUCK  CONTINUES  HIS  JOURNEY  AND  ARRIVES  AT  ANNAP- 
OLIS       22 

V. — BUCK  MAKES  FRIENDS  AND  SOME  EXAMINATIONS       .        .31 

VI. — BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  AND  LEARNS  MORE       .       .     45 

VII. — BUCK  FINDS  HIS  BERTH  ON  THE  Santee      ....     73 

VIII. — BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  AND  ENCOUNTERS  AN  OLD 

ENEMY 84 

IX. — BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  AND  SOME  OTHER  THINGS  .    .    103 

X. — BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE  SEA.        .        .        .    127 

XI. — BUCK  MASTERS  THE  SEA  AND  A  PORPOISE         .        .        .    146 

XII. — BUCK  PROVES  THE  STRENGTH   OF  HIS   FRIENDSHIP  FOR 

CASEY 159 

XIII. — BUCK  FINDS  HIMSELF  A  HERO 179 

XIV. — BUCK  SHOWS  HIS  PROFICIENCY  IN  UNEXPECTED  WAYS     .   187 

XV. — BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF    IN    SOME    THINGS    AND 

FAILS  IN  OTHERS 197 

XVI. — BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE  PRICE          .       .       .  216 

v 


21  r? 


Vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVII. — BUCK  AGAIN  ENTERS  THE  RING 234 

XVIII. — BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA         .       .       .  250 
XIX. — BUCK  AND  PREBLE  HAVE  SOME  STRANGE  ADVENTURES   .  277 

XX. — BUCK  HAS  HIS  FIRST  COMMISSION  AND  MAKES  HIS  FIRST 

SPEECH 292 

XXI. — BUCK  RETURNS  TO  ANNAPOLIS  TO  NEW  DUTIES   .  .  310 

XXII. — BUCK  is  "  Pur  IN  COVENTRY  "  AND  WINS  OUT        .  .  325 

XXIII. — BUCK  BECOMES  NOTED  AS  A  GHOST  CATCHER       .  .  339 

XXIV. — BUCK  FIGHTS  UNDER  WATER — AND  FIRE       .       .  .  353 

XXV. — BUCK  DODGES  GLORY  BUT  is  CAUGHT  .  361 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


FACING 
PAGE 


"And  lashed  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  the  fore  lift"     Frontispiece 

"  Boy,  dog,  horse  were  drenched  in  blood  " 8 

"Buck  struck  him  a  powerful  blow  under  the  chin"     ...     90 
"Buck  .  .  .  like  a  flash,  rolled  him  overboard"      ....  328 


Vll 


BUCK    JONES    AT    ANNAPOLIS 


CHAPTEE    I 

BUCK  DECIDES  ON  ANNAPOLIS 

MAJOK  KOBIN  JONES  and  Colonel  Picket,  his 
neighbor,  were  sitting  in  the  gallery  of  the  old 
Jones  homestead  in  Sumter,  Ala.  "  Wildwood  " 
was  one  of  the  few  Southern  homes  that  had  escaped  the 
ravages  of  the  Civil  War.  The  old  mansion,  with  its 
white  columns,  stood  majestic  in  a  vast  grove  of  magnolia 
trees,  and,  from  its  elevation,  dominated  the  surrounding 
country.  The  soft  sunlight  of  the  late  afternoon  filtered 
through  the  trees,  and  the  June  air  was  heavy  with  the 
perfume  of  Cherokee  roses.  The  stillness  of  the  closing 
day  brought  up  the  spirit  of  the  past.  The  two  ex-soldiers 
had  been  talking  of  antebellum  events,  and  had  quite 
naturally  drifted  into  the  days  when  they  fought  together 
under  Jackson  and  Lee.  As  boys  they  had  seen  the  troops 
returning  from  the  war  with  Mexico.  Love  of  country 
burned  deep  in  their  souls,  only  the  deeper  because  a 
chivalric  sense  of  duty  had  compelled  them  to  take  up 
arms  for  their  native  State. 

"  I  am  bringing  up  my  boys,"  said  Major  Jones,  "  to 
love  their  country  above  all  else,  and  I  can  see  patriotism 
budding  in  Hugh  and  even  in  little  Buck." 

At  that  moment  a  boy  of  nine  years  appeared  down 
at  the  big  gate  pulling  along  a  reluctant  goat. 

1 


2  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  It  is  incredible,"  laughed  Major  Jones ;  "  Buck  has 
caught  the  goat  at  last." 

At  the  big  gate  the  goat  made  a  final  desperate  stand, 
but  the  boy,  wrapping  the  rope  around  his  body,  got  hold 
of  a  sapling  and  slowly  wound  the  rope  up,  dragging  the 
goat  in  bodily.  Once  inside  the  gate,  the  goat  gave  up 
the  struggle. 

"  Bring  your  goat  here,  Buck,  and  let  us  see  him," 
called  out  his  father. 

The  boy  came  up  with  a  smile  of  triumph. 

"  It  has  taken  me  seven  weeks  to  catch  him,  and  I 
have  had  to  drag  him  every  foot  of  the  way  home." 

With  beaming  countenance  the  boy  took  his  captive 
out  to  the  lot 

"  He  has  a  right  to  be  proud,"  said  his  father.  "  He 
asked  for  the  goat  last  spring.  I  told  him  he  could  have 
it,  but  that  there  would  be  no  way  of  catching  it  till  the 
flock  was  rounded  up  in  the  fall.  I  wondered  how  any- 
body on  earth  could  hope  to  catch  the  goat  running  wild 
in  five  thousand  acres  of  timber  land.  My  wife  asked 
me  to  put  a  stop  to  such  a  fruitless  waste  of  time,  but  I 
would  not  interfere.  I  knew  that  in  some  way  he  would 
catch  the  goat  in  the  end." 

Colonel  Picket  laughed,  and  the  two  men  then  re- 
sumed their  conversation  about  the  war  as  Buck  came 
back  from  the  lot  with  his  oldest  brother  Hugh,  the  boys 
sitting  down  on  the  steps. 

"  Yes,"  said  Major  Jones,  "  it  was  most  unfortunate 
for  the  South  to  secede.  My  father  was  bitterly  opposed 
to  secession." 

"  So  was  my  father,"  said  the  colonel. 

"  Yet,  when  the  State  seceded,"  resumed  the  major, 
"  we  all  went  with  it.  At  that  time  we  naturally  felt  it  a 
sacred  duty  to  put  the  State  first,  but  I  am  proud  to  con- 


BUCK   DECIDES  ON  ANNAPOLIS  3 

fess  that  to-day  I  would  regard  it  a  sacred  duty  to  put 
the  country  first.  But  there  can  never  again  be  a  question 
of  secession.  The  supreme  benefit  of  that  terrific  strug- 
gle was  that  it  put  this  idea  forever  at  rest.  Every  day 
I  thank  Heaven  that  the  war  ended  as  it  did,  and  that  I 
can  bring  up  my  children  under  the  old  flag,  that  stands 
for  everything  that  is  highest  and  best  in  the  world.  There 
will  always  be  a  strain  of  sadness  through  my  life,  how- 
ever, that  I  once  had  to  fight  against  that  flag.  I  hope 
one  of  my  sons  may  go  to  West  Point  and  one  of  them  to 
Annapolis,  and  give  their  whole  time  to  its  service." 

"  I  will  go  to  West  Point,"  broke  in  Hugh  quickly. 
"  General  Lee  went  there  and  Jackson  and  Grant,  and 
Washington  founded  it." 

Buck  was  all  attention  and  seemed  troubled  when 
Hugh  said  this,  but  he  said  nothing  himself,  and  ere  long 
the  group  broke  up. 

After  going  to  bed  that  night  Buck  wrestled  with  him- 
self. Should  he  contest  with  Hugh  for  West  Point  ?  He 
longed  to  go  where  Lee  and  Washington  had  been.  But 
Hugh  was  the  older.  It  was  right  for  him  to  have  the 
choice,  and  he  had  chosen  West  Point.  "  Then  it  is  my 
duty  to  go  to  Annapolis,"  he  said  aloud.  "  I  will  go." 
His  mind  was  made  up  and  he  fell  asleep  content,  re- 
membering Admiral  Buchanan,  for  whom  he  was  named, 
and  John  Paul,  who  had  taken  the  name  of  one  of  his 
own  Jones  ancestors.  After  all,  he  concluded,  a  man  can 
be  great  and  render  his  country  noble  service  in  the  navy 
as  well  as  in  the  army. 


CHAPTER   II 

BUCK'S   BOYHOOD   TRIALS 

SUMTER  is  a  typical  old  Southern  town  of  about 
three  thousand  inhabitants,  very  much  the  same  as 
it  was  before  the  war,  a  college  town,  of  unusual 
culture,  located  on  the  edge  of  the  "  Canebreak,"  a  stretch 
of  rich  black  land  wonderfully  fertile  for  cotton.  The 
wealthy  planters  with  plantations  in  the  Canebreak  make 
their  homes  in  Sumter,  and  the  people  of  the  town  are 
like  one  big  family.  Many  had  left  Sumter  to  go  to  other 
cities  with  a  wider  business  horizon,  particularly  the 
young  men,  but  no  one  had  ever  thought  of  starting  a 
cotton  mill  or  other  industry  in  Sumter  itself.  The  old 
families  that  had  produced  great  statesmen,  jurists,  gen- 
erals, were  rearing  a  new  brood  amid  less  wealth  but  under 
the  same  old  traditions. 

The  young  Joneses,  in  time,  came  to  be  noted  in  all 
the  country  around.  They  stood  at  the  head  of  their 
classes  in  school  and  in  Sunday  school,  they  were  the 
heroes  in  athletic  sports,  were  the  greatest  in  hunting  and 
fishing  and  swimming.  Some  even  said  they  ran  wild. 
Buck,  in  particular,  was  developing  so  steadily  that  in 
many  ways  he  was  rapidly  catching  up  with  his  older 
brother,  and  while  he  would  lead  the  boys  near  his  own 
age,  he  soon  came  to  contend  with  those  of  his  brother's 
age.  For  three  years  he  had  contended  in  wrestling,  with 
the  "  Indian  hug,"  to  throw  his  brother,  himself  the  best 

4 


BUCK'S  BOYHOOD  TRIALS  5 

wrestler  of  his  age  in  town.  His  fourteenth  birthday 
came,  but  his  brother  could  still  down  him. 

Not  many  months  after  the  opening  of  this  story  Buck 
passed  through  an  ordeal  that  made  a  lasting  impression 
on  his  character.  He  was  out  hunting  on  horseback,  ex- 
pecting to  go  as  far  as  the  river  swamp.  He  had  the  gun 
his  father  had  given  him  for  a  birthday  present,  prized 
above  all  his  possessions,  and  he  took  his  setter  dog  Hugo, 
a  beautiful  animal  just  grown,  a  cross  between  a  Gordon 
and  a  Llewelyn.  Buck  had  chosen  the  pup  from  a  litter 
while  their  eyes  were  still  closed.  He  had  brought  the 
pup  up  on  a  bottle,  had  watched  its  growth  with  the  con- 
cern and  pride  that  a  mother  has  in  her  offspring.  He 
hopped  with  delight  when  the  pup  first  "  pointed  "  at  an 
insect.  He  watched  it  with  eagerness  as  it  "  set "  the 
little  chicks  in  the  back  yard.  He  was  joyous  when  it 
set  a  sparrow  and  a  field  lark,  and  his  joy  knew  no  bounds 
when,  only  half  grown,  it  set  a  "  single  bird "  after  a 
covey  of  quail  had  been  scattered.  Buck  boasted  of  this 
performance  for  weeks  afterwards. 

The  dog  and  boy  were  inseparable.  They  were  to- 
gether the  last  thing  at  night,  and  as  soon  as  the  doors 
were  opened  in  the  morning,  Hugo  would  run  up  to  Buck's 
room  and  jump  on  the  bed  for  joy.  A  wonderful  under- 
standing existed  between  the  two.  If  Buck  were  going  to 
the  depot,  where  Hugo  might  be  in  danger,  he  would  simply 
say,  "  Go  back.  You  can't  come  this  time."  And  Hugo 
would  stop  and  never  murmur.  Hugo  always  went  as  far 
as  the  big  gate  with  Buck,  and  would  run  out  to  meet  him 
when  he  came  back.  It  was  beautiful  and  touching  to 
see  the  affection  between  the  two.  This  affection  was  the 
greatest  thing  that  had  yet  entered  the  boy's  heart.  Hugo 
was  fast  becoming  the  best  bird  dog  in  the  country. 

By  noon,  on  this  hunt,  Buck  had  already  bagged  fif- 


6  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

teen  quail,  five  snipe,  and  two  woodcock.  The  horse  flushed 
a  covey  of  quail  that  flew  into  the  thicket.  Buck  got  down 
and  threw  the  reins  over  the  horse's  head  and  set  out  for 
the  thicket,  calling  Hugo,  whom  he  had  seen  a  moment 
before  ranging  in  the  other  direction.  The  broom  sage 
was  nearly  waist  high  as  Buck  advanced.  A  rabbit  jumped 
up  and  darted  into  a  pile  of  brush.  Buck  never  fired  at 
rabbits  in  front  of  Hugo,  as  this  is  bad  for  bird  dogs.  But 
he  said  to  himself,  "  As  this  fellow  comes  out  of  the  brush 
I  will  get  him  before  Hugo  comes  up."  The  broom  sage 
rustled  on  the  other  side  of  the  brush.  "  There  he  goes," 
Buck  said  to  himself  as  he  fired.  The  dog  leaped  into 
the  air.  "  O  Hugo !  "  Buck  cried,  and  his  heart  stopped 
beating.  A  terrible  fear  seized  him.  He  stood  riveted, 
paralyzed.  The  dog  dragged  slowly  up,  with  a  gaping 
wound  in  its  shoulder,  but  never  uttered  a  cry.  Its  liquid 
brown  eyes  looked  up  at  Buck,  standing  motionless,  with- 
out any  reproach,  only  with  affection,  as  much  as  to  say: 
"  Don't  be  sad ;  I  know  you  did  not  mean  to  do  it." 

As  Buck's  senses  gradually  returned,  he  knew  the 
wound  was  terrible.  He  stooped  down  to  look  at  it.  The 
blood  was  pouring  out.  He  tried  to  stop  the  flow.  In 
vain.  He  took  off  his  coat,  cut  the  lining  into  bandages, 
and  tied  the  wound.  In  vain.  He  then  cut  his  shirt  up 
and  applied  the  bands.  In  vain.  The  blood  still  flowed. 
He  reached  out.  The  gun  was  in  the  way.  His  primitive 
passions  rose.  He  threw  the  beautiful  gun  crashing 
through  the  thicket.  Then  he  took  Hugo  up  tenderly  in 
his  arms  and  mounted  his  horse,  and  started  toward  the 
road  at  a  gallop. 

"  Hugo,  my  Hugo !  Does  it  hurt  you  ?  "  And  he 
lifted  the  bleeding  dog  across  his  breast,  and  stroked  its 
head.  "  Go,  Prince !  "  he  said  as  they  struck  the  road,  and 
he  gave  the  horse  full  rein. 


BUCK'S  BOYHOOD  TRIALS  7 

The  thoroughbred  went  like  lightning.  Buck  had 
dropped  the  reins  on  the  horse's  neck,  as  he  used  both  hands 
to  protect  the  dog  from  jar.  As  a  child  he  had  been  taught 
to  pray  to  Heaven  for  what  he  longed  for.  He  had  prayed 
continually  to  Heaven  to  help  him  catch  his  goat,  and  he 
had  caught  it.  Before  that  he  had  prayed  that  his  pigeons 
might  come  out  from  under  the  house  without  being  eaten 
up  by  the  cat,  and  they  came  out  safe.  Not  long  since 
he  had  prayed  for  success  in  the  great  sophomore  oratorical 
contest,  and  he  had  won.  "  Oh,  if  God  will  only  spare  me 
Hugo !  "  he  now  cried. 

They  went  at  a  dead  run.  As  they  passed  the  forks 
of  the  road  the  people  in  the  country  store  looked  out. 
Buck  was  bareheaded  and  in  his  undershirt.  Boy,  dog, 
horse  were  drenched  in  blood.  The  horse  was  foaming 
and  laboring,  but  Buck  urged  him  on  at  every  leap.  Buck 
thought  it  was  hours,  but  in  fact  four  miles  were  covered 
in  less  than  fifteen  minutes.  Prince  could  not  maintain 
such  a  gait.  In  spite  of  his  royal  spirit  his  pace  began  to 
slacken.  Hugo  was  rapidly  sinking.  Buck  sobbed,  and 
dug  his  spurs  into  the  horse's  sides.  Prince  bounded  for- 
ward only  to  slacken  again.  One  mile  more.  Again  the 
spurs.  Another  bound,  a  quicker  relaxation.  The  animal 
began  to  stumble.  They  passed  the  outer  houses.  People 
rushed  out.  Buck  did  not  see  them.  A  hundred  yards 
from  the  doctor's  house  the  horse  stumbled  and  fell.  Buck 
went  down,  but  held  Hugo  up  to  break  the  shock,  and  in 
an  instant  dashed  afoot  down  the  road  into  the  doctor's 
house  carrying  a  trail  of  blood.  The  doctor  shook  his 
head. 

"  Buck,"  said  he,  "  nothing  can  be  done." 

The  boy  held  the  dog  on  his  breast  as  the  last  life  drops 
ebbed  away.  When  the  dog  was  dead,  the  world  seemed 
black,  the  universe  empty.  Buck  for  the  first  time  doubted 


8  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

if  there  were  a  God  in  Heaven.  He  brought  the  body 
home  and  buried  it  in  the  garden  under  the  big  apple  tree 
at  the  head  of  his  watermelon  patch. 

Everybody  sympathized  with  Buck  in  his  grief.  They 
knew  he  had  loved  his  many  pets  in  turn,  but  they  knew 
he  had  never  loved  anything  as  he  loved  Hugo.  Aunt 
Becky,  the  cook,  prepared  Buck's  favorite  dessert  and  had 
a  tempting  waiter  in  his  room.  All  the  members  of  the 
family  did  what  they  could.  Buck  appreciated  every- 
thing, but  no  comfort  came.  He  went  to  bed  with  the 
same  stony  look  on  his  face.  Everything  became  quiet. 
Buck  felt  alone  in  the  cold  universe.  His  door  opened 
gently.  His  mother  came  in  and  sat  on  the  side  of  the 
bed  and  kissed  him.  She  had  come  in  this  way  when  he 
couldn't  sleep  from  a  blistered  back,  the  result  of  staying 
out  on  the  bank  at  Cove's  Pond  undressed  in  the  sun.  She 
had  come  in  this  way  when  he  couldn't  sleep  from  threat- 
ened croup. 

'  Up  to  this  point  Buck  had  kept  absolute  self-control, 
but  when  his  mother  kissed  him  the  depths  opened  up  with 
a  flood  of  tears,  and  he  poured  his  heart  out  to  his  mother. 

"  It  is  not  so  much  about  poor  Hugo,"  he  sobbed,  "  but 
I  have  come  to  doubt  God.  One  of  the  seniors  has  been 
telling  me  lately  that  there  is  no  God,  that  religion  is  only 
superstition,  that  it  is  all  nature  and  natural  law.  When 
I  called  out  to  God,  there  was  no  answer.  If  Hugo  were 
back  it  would  do  no  good." 

He  sobbed  as  though  his  heart  would  break.  The  boy 
had  been  suddenly  thrown  against  the  infinite,  against  the 
mystery  of  creation,  the  mystery  of  life,  the  mystery  of 
death. 

His  mother  kissed  him  again  and  lifted  his  head  upon 
her  shoulder  and  stroked  his  hair.  "  There  is  a  God  I 
know,  and  He  is  good  and  merciful,  and  if  we  do  our  part 


'Boy,  dog,  horse  were  drenched  in  blood." 


BUCK'S  BOYHOOD  TRIALS  9 

well,  He  will  take  care  of  us  and  all  will  be  well  in  the 
end." 

They  remained  in  silence  as  Buck  cried  himself  out. 

"  I  can't  tell,  mamma,  about  God,  but  I  am  going  to 
do  my  part." 

This  was  the  last  struggle  in  which  anyone  was  to  help 
Buck.  His  boyhood  closed  here.  The  next  day  the  papers 
of  the  sixth  congressional  district  of  Alabama  announced 
that  on  April  15th  a  competitive  examination  would  be 
held  at  Tuscarora  for  the  appointment  to  Annapolis.  Buck 
tried  and  won. 


CHAPTER   III 

BUCK  STAETS  ON   HIS   JOUKNEY  TO   ANNAPOLIS 

BUCK  had  no  great  difficulty  in  winning  the  com- 
petitive examination,  though  there  were  compet- 
itors from  all  parts  of  the  district,  and  he  was 
the  youngest  of  all.  It  came  out  that  several  of  the  boys 
had  learned  from  private  sources  of  the  coming  examina- 
tion many  months  in  advance,  while  Buck's  first  knowledge 
came  from  the  newspapers,  and  he  had  but  six  weeks  for 
preparation.  When  he  saw  the  notice  he  said  nothing, 
but  began  in  his  characteristic  way  to  get  ready.  He 
wrote  to  the  Superintendent  of  Education  at  Tuscarora, 
who  was  to  be  in  charge,  to  get  particulars  about  the  exam- 
ination, and  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  Naval  Academy 
for  a  catalogue  and  particulars  about  the  requirements  of 
the  entrance  examination.  He  stopped  college,  gave  up 
athletic  sports,  put  aside  everything,  mapped  the  day  out 
to  get  in  a  maximum  of  time,  stopping  only  long  enough 
for  a  trot  of  two  miles  about  twilight  to  keep  in  trim. 
Buck's  method  and  system  more  than  made  up  for  the 
shortness  of  the  time. 

No  one  knew  except  Major  Jones  that  Buck's  decision 
had  been  made  fully,  irrevocably,  five  years  before.  Major 
Jones  had  made  his  remarks  on  that  day  to  Colonel  Picket, 
but  they  were  meant  for  the  boys,  and  he  had  noticed  the 
look  on  Buck's  face.  Hugh,  who  spoke  out  so  quickly, 
had  forgotten  that  he  ever  thought  of  West  Point,  and 

10 


BUCK'S  JOURNEY  TO  ANNAPOLIS  11 

the  major's  hope  about  a  son  going  to  the  army  was  to  be 
fulfilled  by  Houston,  a  younger  son;  but  Buck,  who  said 
nothing,  had  quietly  thought  the  matter  out,  decided  for 
Annapolis,  and  had  kept  his  decision  always  in  mind. 

Two  things  struck  Mrs.  Jones  during  Buck's  prepara- 
tion. One  was  his  rigid  punctuality  at  Sunday  school  and 
church.  Pressed  as  he  was  for  time,  utilizing  every  avail- 
able minute,  he  never  opened  a  text  book  on  Sunday,  and 
every  night  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible,  and  said  his 
prayers  more  carefully  than  formerly.  His  mother  sus- 
pected that  he  was  still  troubled  and  was  trying  to  do 
"  his  part." 

The  other  thing  was  Buck's  challenge  to  Hugh  to 
wrestle  every  morning  before  breakfast.  Mrs.  Jones  did 
not  know  that  years  before  Buck  had  resolved  to  throw 
Hugh  some  day.  The  week  before  leaving,  Buck  threw 
him.  The  wrestling  ceased.  Buck  was  just  like  other 
boys  in  most  respects,  but  in  two  things  he  was  different. 
He  had  to  be  first  and  he  had  to  carry  out  his  resolves. 

When  the  Congressman  gave  Buck  the  preliminary  ap- 
pointment following  the  result  of  the  examination,  he 
directed  him  to  report  to  the  Navy  Department  and  receive 
the  formal  appointment,  and  then  to  report  to  the  Super- 
intendent of  the  Naval  Academy  before  May  12th,  when 
entrance  examinations  were  to  begin.  This  allowed  but 
very  little  time  for  preparation,  and  Buck  continued  the 
same  rigid  routine  of  study  for  the  entrance  examinations. 
One  night  at  supper  Buck  remarked  that  the  earth  is  very 
much  more  of  a  water  world  than  he  had  hitherto  appreci- 
ated. He  had  been  poring  over  a  globe  and  over  physical 
geography.  Everything  that  pertained  to  the  sea  came  to 
have  a  new  interest  for  Buck.  A  few  days  later  he  re- 
marked that  the  United  States  has  the  sea  all  around  it 
except  on  one  side. 


12  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"That  is  very  true,"  added  Major  Jones.  "The  United 
States  is  essentially  the  ocean's  country.  You  will  find, 
my  boy,  that  naval  operations  have  played  a  far  more 
important  part  in  the  life  and  history  of  America  than 
people  realize.  You  see,"  he  continued,  "  at  the  close  of 
wars  the  disbanding  soldiers  go  to  all  parts  of  the  land, 
telling  everybody  about  the  work  of  the  armies  and  the 
deeds  of  the  soldiers,  but  no  one  goes  out  to  tell  of  the 
work  of  the  navy  and  the  deeds  of  the  sailors." 

This  impressed  Buck  very  much. 

"  You  see,  my  boy,"  his  father  continued,  "  man  is  by 
nature  a  land  animal.  He  naturally  forgets  the  sea.  Not 
only  have  historians  neglected  to  appreciate  the  maritime 
affairs  of  the  world,  but  writers  have  ignored  the  won- 
derful achievements  of  men  on  the  sea.  I  could  tell  you 
about  deeds  along  our  rivers  and  coast  and  abroad  on  the 
high  seas  during  the  Civil  War  that  eclipse  for  gallantry 
and  daring  all  the  deeds  of  the  armies.  The  attempts 
at  submarine  navigation  were  beyond  question  the  most 
gallant  deeds  of  all  the  ages.  America's  whole  naval  his- 
tory is  like  a  romance." 

Buck  was  electrified.  He  had  felt  sad  at  first  at  giving 
up  West  Point.  He  was  now  all  delight  and  elation.  A 
whole  new  world  full  of  wonderful  possibilities  lay  ahead. 
He  was  all  eagerness  to  go  forward. 

"  I  did  my  part,  my  duty,  in  accepting  Annapolis,"  he 
mused,  "  and  now  I  wouldn't  change  it  for  anything  in  the 
world.  Mother  is  right.  If  we  do  our  part  it  will  all 
turn  out  for  the  best  in  the  end." 

Buck  left  Sumter  on  the  first  day  of  May  so  as  to  have 
about  a  week  of  final  preparation  after  reaching  Annapo- 
lis. He  had  to  change  cars  at  Selma,  at  Montgomery,  at 
Atlanta,  at  Danville,  besides  stopping  at  Washington  to 
report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  He  had  never  been 


BUCK'S  JOURNEY  TO  ANNAPOLIS  13 

more  than  forty  miles  from  Sumter.  Tuscarora,  of  five 
thousand  inhabitants,  was  the  largest  city  he  had  ever 
seen. 

"  It  is  a  formidable  trip  for  the  boy  to  make  alone," 
said  Colonel  Picket  to  Major  Jones,  as  they  went  down 
together  to  the  depot. 

"  Yes,  when  we  remember  that  traveling  is  a  new  thing 
for  him,  but  I  have  no  uneasiness.  Buck  will  take  care 
of  himself.  He  is  always  courteous  and  considerate  to 
others,  and  anybody  he  meets  will  be  glad  to  direct  him." 

Buck's  mother  and  father,  his  three  sisters  and  three 
brothers  were  at  the  depot,  and  the  neighbors  and  boys 
from  the  college.  Buck's  fraternity  was  there  to  a  man. 

"  We  don't  know  what  it  is  like  up  there,  Buck,"  said 
one  of  them,  "  but  we  know  you  will  show  them  a  few 
things  before  you  are  done." 

By  common  consent  everybody  was  bright  and  cheery 
in  saying  good-by.  They  knew  what  a  tender,  affectionate 
heart  Buck  had  in  his  breast.  Mrs.  Jones,  though  the 
chords  of  her  mother's  heart  were  drawn  tight,  preserved 
a  cheerful  smile.  Buck  turned  away  quickly.  He  felt 
strange  twinges  about  his  own  heart  and  a  contraction  in 
his  throat. 

A  moment  later  he  stood  on  the  rear  platform  waving 
gayly  to  them  all,  and  they  waved  their  handkerchiefs 
gayly  to  him,  till  the  train  passed  round  the  curve  into  the 
cut.  Then  they  needed  their  handkerchiefs  for  other  pur- 
poses. Mrs.  Jones  was  the  only  one  in  the  group  whose 
eyes  were  not  wet. 

"  God  will  take  care  of  my  boy,"  she  said,  and  her 
heart  found  rest  and  strength. 

A  passenger  on  the  West  Point  route  going  from  Mont- 
gomery to  Atlanta  next  day  became  much  interested  in  the 


14  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

bright  boy  in  the  seat  in  front,  who  was  looking  at  every- 
thing that  passed  the  window. 

"  You  seem  to  enjoy  crossing  trestles,"  he  remarked. 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  am  very  much  interested  in  trestles.  I 
saw  a  wonderful  trestle  yesterday  coming  out  of  Selma, 
across  the  Alabama  River." 

Just  then  the  train  rattled  across  a  trestle. 

"  This  is  the  fifty-ninth,"  he  remarked. 

The  stranger  looked  around. 

"  Are  you  counting  the  trestles  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  always  count  trestles.  There  are  eleven 
between  Sumter  and  Tuscarora.  You  ought  to  see  Tus- 
carora  if  you  have  never  been  there.  But  I  have  crossed 
more  trestles  since  yesterday  than  I  ever  crossed  in  my 
life  put  together." 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  To  Washington." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  count  all  the  trestles  to  Washing- 
ton?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

The  stranger  was  delighted  with  the  boy's  frankness, 
and  went  on. 

"  But  how  did  you  count  trestles  last  night  when  you 
were  asleep  ? " 

"  I  didn't  go  to  sleep  on  the  train.  I  didn't  want  to 
miss  anything." 

"  Where  did  you  go  to  sleep  ?  " 

"  In  Montgomery." 

"  At  the  Exchange  Hotel  ?  " 

•    "  Oh,  no,  I  have  never  been  in  a  hotel.     I  waited  in 
the  depot." 

"  And  could  you  sleep  in  the  depot  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir.    I  used  my  carpetbag  for  a  pillow." 

It  was  now  about  one  o'clock,  and  the  boy  took  down 


BUCK'S  JOURNEY  TO  ANNAPOLIS  15 

a  large  bag  from  the  rack.  It  was  made  of  carpet  stuff 
carefully  sewed  together,  with  handles  and  a  strap  after 
the  fashion  of  the  bags  used  by  the  adventurers  that  came 
to  the  South  in  reconstruction  days  to  be  elected  to  office 
by  the  newly  emancipated  negroes. 

"  My  father  wanted  me  to  bring  a  valise,"  said  the 
boy  as  he  began  to  open  the  bag,  "but  I  preferred  my 
carpetbag  because  my  mother  made  it  for  me  a  long  time 
ago  and  I  am  used  to  it,  as  I  take  it  when  I  go  fishing  and 
hunting." 

The  boy  took  out  several  pasteboard  boxes  with  pro- 
visions carefully  done  up  in  tissue  paper. 

"  My  mother  and  sisters  prepared  these  for  me,  and 
won't  you  join  me  for  lunch  ?  " 

The  stranger  noticed  the  contents  of  the  bag,  and  see- 
ing a  Bible,  knew  that  the  frank,  generous,  confiding  coun- 
try boy  was  clad  with  armor  against  the  assaults  of  the 
world. 

It  was  beyond  midnight  when  the  train  passed  Spar- 
tanburg.  Buck  had  become  terribly  sleepy,  and  from  time 
to  time  would  drop  off  dozing  until  they  crossed  a  trestle. 
One  time  he  feared  he  had  missed  a  large  one.  Finally 
he  made  a  bargain  with  the  brakeman,  who  agreed  to  count 
the  trestles  till  daybreak  for  twenty-five  cents.  The  same 
arrangement  was  made  the  next  night,  and  when  Buck 
reached  Washington  the  following  morning  he  had  the 
number  of  trestles  from  Sumter,  Ala. :  two  hundred  and 
seventy-seven,  as  he  wrote  to  Hugh  in  his  first  letter. 

What  Buck  enjoyed  most  on  his  trip  was  passing  places 
he  had  read  about  in  history.  At  Charlotte  he  thought  of 
the  Declaration  of  Mecklenburg.  One  of  his  ancestors  had 
taken  part  in  this  declaration.  A  passenger  sent  a  thrill 
through  the  boy  when  he  casually  pointed  out  King's 
Mountain  and  Guilford  Court  House.  Buck  had  ancestors 


16  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

in  both  of  those  battles.  A  monument  stands  on  the  field 
of  Guilford  Court  House  to  a  heroine,  an  ancestress,  of 
whom  his  mother  had  often  spoken.  His  heart  beat  fast 
at  Danville  when  he  heard  the  train  caller  call  out  "  All 
aboard  for  Richmond."  He  had  six  cousins  and  uncles 
who  surrendered  at  Appomattox,  the  remainder  of  fifteen 
that  had  gone  into  the  war.  Again  he  was  elated  when 
the  brakeman  called  out  Manassas ;  but  there  was  a  tinge 
of  sadness.  His  mother's  favorite  brother  had  been  killed 
there.  It  was  hard  for  him  to  contain  himself  when  they 
passed  Alexandria. 

"  Can  you  see  the  church  that  Washington  used  to  at- 
tend ?  "  he  asked  his  car  neighbor. 

"  No,  it  is  a  little  distance  on  the  other  side  of 
town." 

"  Is  this  the  Potomac  we  are  crossing  ? "  he  almost 
shouted. 

"  Yes,"  answered  his  neighbor. 

As  they  drew  into  Washington  Buck's  eye  was  riveted 
on  the  wonderful  shaft  that  pierced  the  blue. 

"  What  is  that  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  It  is  Washington's  Monument." 

"  I  am  so  glad,"  he  said  softly.  "  It  is  so  tall  and 
majestic  and  straight.  It  is  just  like  him." 

The  stranger  must  have  seen  that  the  boy  was  full  of 
ideals,  for  he  said,  "  Do  you  see  that  house  with  the  col- 
umns beyond  the  river,  high  up  on  the  bank  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Buck,  "  it  looks  like  my  home." 

"  That  is  Arlington.  It  was  the  home  of  General 
Lee." 

Buck's  heart  almost  stopped  beating.  His  two  ideals 
stood  before  him,  looking  at  each  other  across  the  Potomac. 

The  baggage  man  at  the  Union  Depot  smiled  when  a 
boy  came  up,  politely  said  "  Good  morning,"  and  asked 


BUCK'S  JOURNEY  TO   ANNAPOLIS  17 

for  a  check  for  his  bag  and  inquired  how  to  reach  the  Navy 
Department. 

"  Go  up  to  the  corner  there  and  turn  to  your  left,  and 
take  the  Pennsylvania  Avenue  street  car  for  about  a  mile. 
Anyone  will  then  show  you  the  State,  War,  and  Navy 
Building." 

Buck  bowed,  and  thanked  the  man  and  set  out.  As 
he  turned  the  corner  a  well-dressed  man  was  coming  down 
Pennsylvania  Avenue.  "  Good  morning,"  said  Buck,  with 
an  open,  hearty  smile.  The  man  looked  surprised,  but 
finally  returned  a  half-hearted  "  Good  morning !  " 

"  He  is  not  very  polite,"  thought  Buck.  "  Everywhere 
around  Sumter  everybody  says  '  Good  morning.' ' 

Buck  had  always  said  "  Good  morning  "  to  everybody, 
whether  acquainted  or  not.  The  stranger  stopped  a  little 
farther  on  to  look  back  at  the  boy  and  watch  him  as  he 
passed  a  man  walking  rapidly. 

"  Good  morning,"  the  boy  promptly  said. 

The  man  looked  up,  surprised,  then  passed  on  without 
any  sign  of  acknowledgment.  It  was  evident  that  Buck 
felt  affronted.  He  drew  himself  up.  To  the  next  man 
he  was  not  so  forward  in  his  salutation.  He  caught  the 
man's  eye,  and  was  about  to  speak,  but  the  man  made  no 
movement  of  recognition. 

Buck  threw  his  head  back.  "  They  don't  wish  to  speak 
to  me,"  he  said  to  himself. 

Buck  decided  to  walk  instead  of  taking  the  car.  "  I 
will  follow  the  car  track,"  thought  he.  "  The  sun  is  out. 
The  avenue  runs  a  little  to  the  west  of  north.  I  can  find 
it  again  from  its  leading  to  the  Capitol  and  can  retrace  my 
steps  without  trouble,"  and  he  began  to  note  objects  to 
guide  him  back,  as  though  he  were  in  the  river  swamp. 

He  was  sorry  he  had  to  go  away  from  instead  of  toward 
the  Capitol.  He  would  stop  and  turn  around  to  look  at 


18  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

it  every  now  and  then.  That  great  structure  fascinated 
him  from  the  start,  like  the  great  monument. 

"  That,"  he  pondered,  "  is  the  seat  of  government  of 
this  great  country.  It  looks  like  it."  At  one  point  in  the 
avenue  he  was  delighted  to  find  that  he  could  see  the  Cap- 
itol and  the  monument  at  the  same  time.  He  passed  the 
Treasury  Building  and  admired  it,  but  did  not  know  what 
building  it  was.  And  then  he  passed  the  White  House. 

"  That's  a  nice  place,"  he  thought.  "  I  like  it,  but  it 
hasn't  got  a  gallery  like  '  Wildwood,'  and  the  columns 
are  not  as  big,  and  the  yard  is  so  small.  There  is  no  place 
for  a  tournament.  You  couldn't  let  the  horses  and  cows 
in  to  graze,  and  I  doubt  whether  you  could  keep  pigs  and 
goats  at  all.  It  is  a  pity  they  haven't  got  some  of  our  big 
red  oaks  and  magnolias."  Buck  didn't  think  he  could  ever 
be  satisfied  in  a  place  that  didn't  have  these.  "  And  I 
don't  see  a  single  chestnut  tree  and  not  even  a  hickory  nor 
a  scalybark." 

Buck  was  about  to  pass  on,  concluding  that,  everything 
considered,  the  place  was  unsatisfactory,  when  through  a 
vista  he  saw  the  monument. 

"  Oh,  they  can  see  the  monument  from  there." 

All  objections  were  wiped  away  in  an  instant. 

"  I  would  like  to  live  there,"  he  said,  "  in  one  of  the 
back  rooms  where  I  could  see  the  monument  all  the  time : 
see  it  in  the  early  sunlight  and  in  the  setting  sun  and  in 
the  moonlight.  I  wish  I  knew  who  lived  there." 

He  wanted  to  ask  some  one  very  much,  but  after  being 
affronted  he  had  made  up  his  mind  not  to  speak  to  a  soul ; 
but  across  the  street  he  saw  a  negro.  It  brought  up  home 
feelings.  He  crossed  and  said :  . 

"  Uncle,  will  you  tell  me  who  lives  there  ?  " 

"  I  ain't  no  uncle  of  yours.  When  I  want  to  claim,  kin 
wid  you  I'll  let  you  know." 


BUCK'S  JOURNEY  TO  ANNAPOLIS  19 

This  was  beyond  Buck's  very  imagination. 

"  You  impudent  rascal,  you,  do  you  know  whom  you 
are  talking  to  ?  " 

Buck  had  always  gotten  on  well  with  negroes.  He 
loved  them  and  they  loved  him. 

"  Scuse  me,  boss,  I  didn't  mean  nothin'.  I  thought  you 
was  tryin'  to  guy  me.  Why,  the  President  lives  there, 
sah.  Dat's  de  White  House." 

"  One  of  my  ancestors  must  have  lived  there,  then," 
said  Buck  to  himself  as  he  took  a  closer  look  at  the  place. 
"  The  President  of  the  United  States  lives  here,"  he 
mused.  "  He  must  be  a  great  and  good  man." 

"  Uncle,"  said  Buck,  with  kindness  and  sympathy  in 
his  voice,  "  I  hope  boys  don't  guy  you  up  here.  Could  you 
show  me  the  way  to  the  Navy  Department  ?  " 

"  It's  jes  'cross  de  street,  sah,  in  dat  big  buildin',  on  dis 
side  of  de  buildin'." 

Sure  enough,  there  were  two  big  anchors,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  entrance.  Buck  went  in  and  was  lost  in  de- 
light at  seeing  models  of  ships  from  the  old  Constitution 
down  to  those  of  the  present. 

"  Are  these  like  the  real  ships  ? "  he  asked  the  at- 
tendant. 

"  Exactly  alike  to  the  last  bolt  and  the  last  rope." 

"  How  wonderful,"  Buck  thought.  He  could  hardly 
tear  himself  away  to  find  the  office  of  the  Secretary  on  the 
second  floor. 

"  This  way,"  said  the  doorkeeper,  as  he  ushered  Buck 
into  the  large  reception  room. 

Buck  thought  this  was  the  Secretary's  office,  and  looked 
around  to  see  which  of  the  occupants  was  the  Secretary. 
He  was  undecided.  Probably  that  big  man  over  there  at 
the  desk  with  such  a  fierce,  serious  look.  As  he  stood  in 
doubt  the  usher  asked  him  to  be  seated,  and  he  sat  down 


20  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

alongside  of  a  number  who  were  evidently  waiting  to  see 
the  Secretary.  Next  to  him  was  a  middle-aged  lady,  who 
reminded  him  of  his  mother.  She  seemed  to  be  in  trouble. 

Messengers  were  coming  and  going.  Men  with  pa- 
pers and  documents  passed  in  and  out.  Buck  watched 
everything  with  keen  interest. 

"  The  Navy  Department  must  be  very  complicated,"  he 
thought. 

After  a  while  a  man  came  quietly  out  of  the  side  door 
and  began  to  speak  in  turn  to  each  of  those  who  were  wait- 
ing. When  he  reached  the  lady  next  to  him  Buck  heard 
her  tell  what  a  fine  boy  her  son  was,  how  bright,  how  am- 
bitious, how  it  was  her  dream  and  had  been  the  dream  of 
her  dead  husband  to  have  their  only  son  go  into  the  navy. 

"  I  am  in  full  sympathy  with  you,  Mrs.  Preble.  We 
want  the  name  in  the  navy ;  but  you  know  how  rigidly  the 
rules  have  to  be  observed  to  preserve  high  standards.  The 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  must  sustain  the  Academic  Board 
or  chaos  would  reign.  If  you  can  prevail  upon  the  Aca- 
demic Board  to  recommend  that  your  son  be  turned  back 
to  the  class  now  entering  instead  of  being  dropped,  I  will 
approve  their  action." 

"  I  will  go  to  Annapolis  to-day,"  she  said,  and  left  hur- 
riedly. 

Buck's  turn  came  next. 

"  Good  morning,"  the  gentleman  said,  and  extended  his 
hand  in  a  most  kindly  manner. 

"  Good  morning,  sir,"  said  Buck.  "  I  have  instructions 
to  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  hand  him  this, 
to  be  exchanged  for  a  formal  appointment."  And  he 
handed  the  document  he  had  brought  in  his  inside  coat 
pocket. 

The  gentleman  called  to  the  big  man  over  at  the  desk 
and  said,  "  Get  the  document  ready." 


BUCK'S  JOURNEY  TO  ANNAPOLIS  21 

"  Why,"  said  Buck  to  himself,  "  this  is  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  himself,  and  the  big,  fierce-looking  man  is  only 
a  clerk." 

"  You  have  come  a  long  way.    Did  you  come  alone  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir." 

"  Aren't  you  late  in  going  pn  ?  Most  of  the  candidates 
have  gone  long  ago  to  get  coaching  at  the  preparatory 
schools." 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  know  I  am  late.  My  father  suggested  that 
I  go  on  to  one  of  the  schools  that  had  written,  but  I  really 
thought  it  best  to  continue  studying  at  home  as  I  had  been 
doing  for  the  competitive  examination.  I  had  the  cata- 
logue and  requirements.  Of  course  it  was  impossible  in  so 
short  a  time  to  prepare  thoroughly  in  everything,  but  I 
felt  that  I  could  cover  the  chief  parts  in  time." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  pass  ? " 

"  I  hope  so,  sir." 

"  I  wish  you  success,"  and  the  Secretary  went  back  to 
his  office.  "  Such  a  contrast  in  bringing  up  boys,"  he 
thought.  "  How  self-reliant  this  fellow  is,  while  young 
Preble  can't  do  a  thing  without  his  mother." 

Soon  the  clerk  brought  the  appointment,  and  Buck  went 
out  thinking  what  a  fine  man  the  Secretary  was. 

"  That  is  just  the  way  a  great  man  would  do.  How 
silly  of  me  to  think  he  would  be  big  and  fierce.  The  Sec- 
retary is  the  finest  man  I  ever  saw,"  Buck  said  to  himself, 
"  except  my  father  and  my  uncles." 

Buck  retraced  his  steps  to  the  station,  got  his  bag,  and 
caught  the  afternoon  train  for  Annapolis. 


CHAPTER   IV 

BUCK  CONTINUES  HIS  JOURNEY  AND  AEEIVES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

AS   his   train    pulled   out   from    Washington,    Buck 
watched  the  Capitol  dome  as  long  as  it  could  be 
seen.     The  Washington  Monument  was  cut  off 
from  view  from  the  start.     Soon  he  became  absorbed  in 
watching  the  country  out  of  the  window  and  in  again  count- 
ing the  trestles.     He  was  in  a  kind  of  reverie  when  the 
brakeman  called,  "  Change  for  Annapolis."     He  was  so 
startled  that  he  came  near  forgetting  his  bag  as  he  left 
the  train.    A  number  of  passengers  got  off  at  the  same  time. 
Just  behind  him  he  noticed  Mrs.  Preble. 

"  May  I  help  you  ? "  he  asked,  as  he  touched  his  hat 
and  gallantly  offered  his  hand. 

Mrs.  Preble  accepted  his  assistance,  though  she  thought 
to  herself,  "  I  wonder  where  the  boy's  mother  is.  He  seems 
all  alone." 

Several  ladies  followed  and  Buck  lent  them  all  his 
hand.  He  noticed  that  the  young  ladies  smiled  as  they 
thanked  him,  and  a  stout  Irish  woman  said,  "  Faith  and 
you  are  a  koind  and  polite  little  man."  Buck's  heart 
warmed  up  at  their  signs  of  appreciation  for  he  was  heart 
hungry.  Since  leaving  home  his  heart  had  been  on  short 
rations,  and  since  the  cold  treatment  in  Washington  he  had 
begun  to  feel  very  lonely,  and  the  world  began  to  look 
empty  again  as  it  had  after  Hugo's  death.  The  malady 
of  homesickness  had  taken  up  its  abode  in  his  heart. 

22 


BUCK   ARRIVES  AT  ANNAPOLIS  23 

Feeling  left  out  as  the  passengers  talked  in  groups, 
Buck  wandered  off  beyond  the  platform  and  examined  the 
surrounding  country.  His  eye,  being  that  of  a  young 
woodsman,  discovered  the  indication  of  a  creek  off  at  a 
distance.  When  the  porter  told  him  the  Annapolis  train 
was  at  least  thirty  minutes  late,  he  put  his  bag  on  a  truck 
and  went  out  for  discovery.  It  was  not  long,  however,  be- 
fore he  was  once  more  seated  in  the  train,  covering  the  last 
miles  of  his  journey  to  Annapolis. 

Buck  watched  out  of  the  windows  on  both  sides,  his 
interest  growing  keener  and  keener  the  nearer  they  drew 
to  their  destination.  The  rolling  country  was  much  like 
the  country  north  of  Sumter,  but  Buck  noted  several  new 
kinds  of  trees  and  two  or  three  new  kinds  of  birds,  and  he 
realized  that  he  was  far  away  from  home.  Nevertheless, 
when  he  saw  the  oaks  and  the  pines  he  felt  that  there  were 
friends  in  this  new  country. 

At  many  stops  at  crossroad  stations  Buck  saw  old 
homes  of  colonial  architecture  run  down,  out  of  repairs, 
reminding  him  of  places  at  home. 

Buck  had  been  seated  on  the  right  side  of  the  train  in 
the  rear  seat.  He  crossed  over  to  the  left  side,  for  he  heard 
Mrs.  Preble  tell  the  young  lady  in  the  seat  with  her  that 
the  Naval  Academy  grounds  could  be  seen  off  at  a  distance 
on  that  side. 

"  There  is  the  clock  tower  over  the  New  Quarters,  and 
you  can  see  the  flag  flying  from  the  flagpole  beyond." 

Buck  saw  them  distinctly.  He  drew  a  deep  breath. 
"  That  is  the  flag  I  am  going  to  serve  under,"  and  the 
springs  of  a  deep  ingrained  patriotism  welled  up. 

"  What  is  that  great  white  cross  on  the  mound  pedestal 
that  you  can  see  through  the  trees  ? "  asked  the  girl. 

"  That  is  in  the  government  cemetery.  It  is  the  monu- 
ment to  those  lost  on  the  Jeanette  Arctic  Expedition. 


24  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

There  are  many  other  interesting  tombs  and  monuments 
there." 

Buck  saw  the  cross  as  it  disappeared  behind  the  trees. 
Instantly  it  had  a  gloomy  fascination  for  him.  "  I  will  go 
out  there  soon/'  he  said  to  himself  as  the  train  stopped. 

There  was  a  crowd  outside.  Buck  saw  several  young 
men  in  uniforms.  "  They  must  be  cadets,"  he  said,  as 
he  rose,  took  his  bag  in  hand,  and  brought  up  the  rear  as 
the  passengers  filed  out.  Somebody  met  each  of  the  others 
in  turn.  Buck  felt  lonely  as  he  stepped  off  in  the  midst 
of  the  gay  throng,  and  no  one  met  him.  Mrs.  Preble  em- 
braced her  son  with  joy,  and  said  she  was  sure  she  could 
get  the  Academic  Board  to  recommend  turning  back  in- 
stead of  dropping. 

"  You  have  been  such  a  good  boy,"  she  said.  "  They 
will  be  glad  to  do  it  now  that  they  know  that  the  Secretary 
is  willing." 

"  Mother,  you  can  do  anything,  but,"  the  boy  added, 
"  I  am  afraid  it  has  been  very  hard  for  you." 

Buck  heard  the  conversation  and  took  a  liking  to  young 
Preble  from  the  start.  He  could  not  keep  his  eyes  off 
the  cadets,  straight,  dignified,  immaculate  in  their  full- 
dress  uniforms.  He  eyed  each  one  carefully.  They  were 
absorbed  with  the  young  ladies  they  had  come  to  meet. 

"  When  did  you  leave  New  York  ? "  he  heard  one  of 
them  ask. 

"  This  morning  at  ten,"  answered  the  young  lady. 

"  Such  a  pity  you  could  not  get  here  yesterday  to  rest 
up,  and  then  we  had  a  great  game  of  baseball  this  after- 
noon. We  beat  Johns  Hopkins.  But  I  am  so  glad  you 
came.  It  is  the  last  Saturday-night  hop  of  the  year." 

Buck  could  not  help  hearing  these  things.  "  Young 
ladies  come  all  the  way  from  New  York  to  the  dances,"  he 
thought.  "  They  must  have  a  crack  baseball  nine.  I  won- 


BUCK  ARRIVES  AT   ANNAPOLIS  25 

der  if  they  have  any  catchers  who  catch  under  the  bat  ? " 
Buck  and  Hugh  were  catchers  at  college,  the  only  two  who 
ever  dared  catch  under  the  bat.  At  that  time  masks  and 
plastrons  and  padded  gloves  had  not  reached  Sumter. 
Buck  had  visions  of  showing  the  nine  what  advantage  it 
was  to  catch  under  the  bat. 

One  by  one  the  couples  left.  The  rear  cadet,  who  saw 
Buck  looking,  caught  his  eye,  and  lowered  his  brows  with 
a  terrible  frown  and  a  look  that  was  calculated  to  strike 
terror  in  a  plebe  or  a  candidate.  Buck  never  winced.  The 
cadet  passed  on. 

"  Why  doesn't  he  take  the  lady's  cloak  and  umbrella  ?  " 
murmured  Buck.  "  He  isn't  thoughtful  with  ladies.  I 
hate  him." 

The  passengers  all  took  hacks  and  drove  away.  Buck 
was  left  by  himself,  when  a  full-grown  mulatto  came  up 
and  asked  if  he  was  a  candidate  and  wished  a  boarding 
house. 

"  Yes,"  said  Buck. 

"  I  am  Patrick  Henry,"  said  the  darky,  "  and  I  look 
out  for  Mrs.  Council's  boarding  house.  I  will  look  out  for 
your  trunk  and  black  your  shoes  every  morning." 

Buck  helped  him  find  the  trunk. 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  of  the  last  cadet  that  left  ?  " 

"  That  was  Mr.  Kerr.  They  call  him  '  Jo-Jo.'  He's 
the  terror  of  the  plebes  and  candidates,  the  worst  hazer  in 
the  Academy." 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  of  the  first  cadet  that  left  ?  " 

"  That  was  Dwight  Tyler,  the  four-striper,  the  saviest 
man  that  has  been  in  the  Academy  for  twenty  years.  I 
waited  on  Mr.  Tyler  when  he  was  a  candidate,"  said  Pat- 
rick Henry  with  pride  and  with  insinuating  assurance. 
"  I  have  waited  on  nearly  all  the  four-stripers  and  savey 
men." 


26  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Patrick  Henry  wished  to  put  Buck  in  a  hack. 

"  No,  I  prefer  to  walk,"  said  Buck,  as  he  gazed  at  the 
curious  old  hacks.  Buck  noticed  the  resemblance  between 
these  hacks  and  the  old  one  in  the  back  of  the  livery  stable 
at  Sumter  that  had  been  used  before  the  war,  and  which 
was  preserved  because  of  its  association,  four  governors  and 
two  generals  having  ridden  in  it.  Patrick  Henry,  as  he 
directed  Buck  how  to  find  Mrs.  Connell's,  argued  to  him- 
self that  it  was  time  for  new  hacks  when  gentlemen  were 
actually  afraid  to  ride  in  the  old  ones. 

Buck  walked  down  the  street  paved  with  cobblestones. 
He  looked  at  everything. 

"  Many  of  the  houses  resemble  the  hacks,"  he  thought, 
"  but  I  like  them."  When  he  reached  St.  Anne's  Circle 
he  was  delighted.  The  old  church  all  covered  with  ivy, 
surrounded  by  a  circle  with  trees  and  grass  and  a  few  tombs 
on  one  side,  especially  appealed  to  him.  A  little  farther 
on  he  turned  to  the  left  and  found  Mrs.  ConnelFs,  and  was 
soon  located  in  a  room  upstairs  looking  out  over  the  old 
church. 

When  the  door  closed  he  felt  very  lonely.  He  had 
never  stayed  in  a  strange  room  before.  Homesickness  be- 
gan to  come  over  him  again,  but  work  was  Buck's  great 
recourse  when  his  mind  was  troubled. 

"  I  will  begin  studying  to-night,"  he  said. 

Just  before  supper  formation  in  the  Academy  a  group 
of  third  classmen  were  gathered  on  the  seats  flanked  by 
old  brass  cannon  in  front  of  New  Quarters.  Jo-Jo  Kerr 
was  talking. 

"  I  have  never  seen  such  a  crop  of  gaily  candidates  in 
my  life.  The  worst  one  of  all  came  in  to-day.  He  tried  to 
stare  me  out  of  countenance  at  the  station.  Such  brazen 
gall!" 

"  He  must  have  had  gall,"  remarked  Whaley.    Whaley 


BUCK  ARRIVES  AT  ANNAPOLIS  27 

was  himself  a  great  hazer  and  had  a  terrible  look,  but  he 
knew  he  could  not  equal  Jo-Jo. 

Across  the  walk  in  the  other  gun-flanked  seats  some  first 
classmen  were  seated.  Kerr  called  out: 

"  Tyler,  did  you  see  that  gaily  candidate  at  the  sta- 
tion?" 

Kerr  thought  he  gained  importance  by  speaking  to 
Tyler,  who  was  in  the  first  class.  He  was  himself  in  the 
third. 

"  Which  one  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  The  one  with  the  carpetbag." 

"  I  saw  the  boy  with  the  carpetbag.  He  is  very  young 
and  is  probably  green." 

"  I  will  take  the  gall  out  of  him,  the  carpetbagger," 
said  Jo-Jo,  "  and  I  will  put  the  plebes  on  to  him  as  soon 
as  they  become  third  classmen,  and  they  will  get  a  good 
chance  at  him  on  the  cruise." 

"  I  will  look  out  for  him,  too,"  said  Whaley.  "  He 
probably  thinks  he  is  the  biggest  man  in  the  world." 

Whaley  honestly  believed  that  hazing  was  the  best-known 
process  for  inculcating  discipline,  and  felt  especially  called 
on  to  "  look  out "  for  the  gaily  plebes.  The  belief  was 
so  ingrained  in  him  that  he  could  not  break  it  even  after 
he  reached  the  dignity  of  a  second  classman.  To  be  more 
efficient,  he  took  special  lessons  in  boxing,  and  had  become 
the  best  boxer  in  the  Academy  so  he  could  accommodate  a 
plebe  that  wanted  to  fight.  But  Jo-Jo  Kerr  was  innately 
vicious,  and  exhausted  the  domain  of  hazing  for  the  grati- 
fication of  his  bullying  instinct.  He  thought  it  gave  him 
prestige — as  it  did  with  a  certain  clique. 

When  the  group  of  third  classmen  broke  up  as  the  bugle 
blew,  they  had  laid  their  schemes  for  the  gaily  carpetbag- 
ger. As  Tyler  stepped  out  to  take  command  of  the  battalion 
he  thought  to  himself :  "  Jo- Jo  is  a  bully  and  a  coward. 


28  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

He  wants  to  fight  that  green  country  boy,  thirty  pounds  his 
inferior,  who  probably  knows  nothing  about  boxing." 

By  the  time  the  Connells'  supper  bell  rang  Buck  had 
unpacked  his  books  and  was  ready  to  begin  studying.  When 
he  entered  the  dining  room  Mrs.  Connell  introduced  him 
to  her  boarders,  six  or  seven  of  whom  were  candidates. 
Several  had  their  fathers  with  them,  two  had  their  mothers. 
Buck  was  seated  next  to  Preble,  whose  mother  had  already 
told  him  of  the  little  boy  with  the  carpetbag.  Preble 
liked  Buck  as  Buck  liked  Preble  from  the  beginning.  As 
they  warmed  up,  Buck  asked  Preble  what  was  the  mean- 
ing of  the  word  savey.  People  all  around  the  table  sup- 
pressed a  smile. 

"  Savey  comes  from  the  French  verb  savoir,  to  know, 
and  means  smart  and  talented.  For  instance,  Tyler,  the 
four-striper,  who  stands  first  in  everything  and  has  stood 
first  in  everything  for  four  years,  is  a  savey  man.  The 
opposite  of  savey  is  wooden.  For  instance,  I  have  been 
standing  last  in  almost  everything.  I  am  wooden." 

Buck  flushed  up  to  the  roots  of  his  hair. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  I  did  not  know.  I 
am  so  sorry." 

"  Don't  worry,  Mr.  Jones.  Here  at  Annapolis  when  a 
man  is  wooden  he  knows  it  and  everybody  else  knows  it. 
Before  I  came  here  I  thought  I  knew  something  and  had 
some  ability.  Now  I  realize  that  I  was  very  much  mis- 
taken." 

"  You  are  not  just  to  yourself,  Mr.  Preble,"  said  a  can- 
didate sitting  opposite.  "  Your  resignation  has  not  yet 
been  accepted.  You  cannot  be  called  a  '  bilger.' ' 

Buck  wondered  what  a  "  bilger  "  was,  but  he  would  not 
risk  making  another  break  by  asking.  The  candidate  that 
spoke  was  named  Catell.  He  had  come  to  like  Preble. 
Everybody  liked  Preble. 


BUCK  ARRIVES  AT  ANNAPOLIS  29 

Later  in  the  meal  when  Buck's  assurance  returned,  he 
asked  Preble  if  he  knew  a  cadet  named  Jo-Jo.  The  table 
again  smiled.  What  plebe  or  candidate  didn't  know  Jo-Jo, 
at  least  by  reputation ! 

"  He  is  the  meanest  man  that  ever  lived,"  said  Mrs. 
Preble.  "  He  has  been  like  a  nightmare  to  my  boy  all 
the  year." 

"  Mother,  please  don't  call  me  '  boy,'  "  pleaded  Preble. 
"  A  cadet  is  supposed  to  be  a  man.  The  servants  are 
called  <  boys.' " 

"  Is  Jo-Jo  cross-eyed  ?  "  asked  Buck  innocently. 

The  table  roared. 

"  No,"  said  Preble,  "  he  is  not  really  cross-eyed  or  he 
couldn't  have  passed  the  physical  examination;  but  when 
he  looks  at  a  plebe  and  frowns  he  certainly  does  look  cross- 
eyed. I  have  never  seen  such  a  look  on  a  human  being. 
This  is  what  gives  him  the  name  of  '  Jo-Jo.' ' 

"  Now  to  change  the  subject,  and  reverting  to  the  deri- 
vation of  the  word  f  savey,'  "  said  Pikeman,  a  candidate 
at  the  other  side  of  the  table,  "  I  would  take  issue  with 
you,  Mr.  Preble.  The  word  must  surely  be  derived  from 
the  Latin.  I  am  convinced  of  this,  having  graduated  in 
Latin  at  the  Classical  College  of  Pennsylvania." 

Buck  had  read  Ca?sar  and  Virgil  and  was  in  Cicero, 
though  nearly  four  years  younger  than  Pikeman,  but  he 
refrained  from  referring  to  his  Latin.  However,  he  could 
not  help  saying  a  word  on  Preble's  side,  for  he  saw  that 
Pikeman's  remarks  were  intended  to  discredit  Preble. 

"  Without  any  pretensions  in  Latin,  it  seems  to  me  a 
question  of  common  sense.  They  do  not  teach  Latin  at  the 
Academy  and  never  have  taught  it;  but  they  do  teach 
French  and  have  always  taught  it.  The  word  originated 
there,  and  the  only  reasonable  inference  is  that  it  must 
have  come  from  the  French." 


30 

Buck  was  naturally  reticent,  but  Major  Jones  had 
brought  his  boys  up  to  discuss  all  kinds  of  important  and 
learned  questions  at  the  table. 

The  other  candidates  looked  over  to  Pikeman,  who 
was  coming  to  be  regarded  as  a  leader.  Having  no  re- 
joinder about  "  savey,"  he  took  another  tack. 

"  There  can  at  least  be  no  question  about  the  word 
'  bilge.'  It  comes  from  bilge  water,  the  water  that  slowly 
accumulates  in  the  bottom  or  bilge  of  a  ship.  It  is  foul 
water  and  bad  for  the  ship,  so  they  pump  it  out.  By  anal- 
ogy a  cadet  is  pumped  out  or  bilged  and  becomes  a 
<  bilger.'  " 

The  guests  saw  the  flush  on  Preble's  cheek.  Pikeman 
knew  he  had  triumphed  over  Preble,  but  he  caught  the  de- 
fiant look  in  Buck's  eye  and  realized  the  inherent  antag- 
onism of  their  two  natures. 

Alboard,  a  candidate  steeped  in  the  classics,  who  had 
claims  of  being  a  poet  and  a  philosopher,  spoke  up  and 
said :  "  It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  we  do  not  go  more 
to  the  Greek  and  the  Sanskrit  for  our  modern  words." 

Buck  had  studied  Greek  and  read  Xenophon  and  saw 
nothing  alluring  in  that  dead  language.  "  Perhaps  there  is 
something  in  the  Sanskrit,"  he  concluded,  as  no  one  took 
Alboard  up  on  his  statement. 

When  supper  was  over  Buck  went  up  and  made  a  little 
visit  to  Preble  and  his  mother. 

"  I  certainly  trust  you  will  succeed  in  your  efforts,"  he 
said  to  Mrs.  Preble  as  he  left.  To  himself  he  muttered, 
as  he  took  up  his  algebra,  "  Pikeman  is  mean.  He  had 
no  consideration  for  Mrs.  Preble,  either.  He  is  cruel  and 
mean." 

At  9.30  Buck  heard  a  peal.  "  That  must  be  a  can- 
non," he  thought,  listening  as  it  roared  and  echoed.  Buck 
had  never  heard  a  cannon  before.  It  stirred  his  blood. 


CHAPTER   V 

BUCK  MAKES   FRIENDS  AND   SOME  EXAMINATIONS 

THE  next  day  Mrs.  Connell  noticed  that  Buck  went 
over  to  St.  Anne's  to  church  while  the  other  can- 
didates studied  for  examinations.     In  the  after- 
noon Alboard  came  in  for  a  visit. 

"  What  are  you  boning  now  ?  That's  the  biggest  text- 
book I  ever  saw.  A  religious  book!  Who  ever  heard  of 
anybody  except  a  narrow-minded  preacher  studying  a  book 
like  that?  I  don't  bother  my  head  about  such  things.  You 
are  a  slave  when  you  take  up  creeds  and  religions.  For 
my  part,  I  believe  in  nature  and  beauty  and  liberty." 

At  this  juncture  there  was  a  rap  on  the  door.  Buck 
opened,  and  Preble  stepped  in  with  a  cadet  in  full  dress, 
tall,  imposing.  It  was  Moble,  who  was  standing  at  the 
head  of  the  plebe  class. 

"  This  is  Mr.  Jones,  of  whom  I  was  telling  you." 

Buck,  who  was  still  standing,  bowed  and  said : 

"  Won't  you  take  seats,  gentlemen  ?  And  that  is  Mr. 
Alboard." 

Moble  and  Preble  had  roomed  together,  and  were  good 
friends.  Preble  was  telling  him  about  Buck,  and  Moble 
asked  to  see  his  friend,  "  the  carpetbagger."  Preble 
brought  him  over  with  the  understanding  that  Moble 
would  not  "  run "  him.  Buck  noticed  that  Alboard 
jumped  to  his  feet  and  stood  attention  with  the  palm  of 
his  hands  to  the  front. 

"  Fins  out,  Mr.  Jones,"  Moble  commanded. 

31 


32  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  sir." 

"  Like  Mr.  Alboard." 

Buck  did  not  understand,  but  came  to  attention.  Preble 
had  told  him  to  do  everything  cadets  told  him  to  do.  It  was 
the  custom,  and  the  only  way  to  get  on  smoothly,  and  then 
they  wouldn't  haze  him  much,  only  "  run  "  him. 

"  Mr.  Alboard,  I  understand  you  are  a  poet.  Recite 
1  Locksley  Hall '  for  us." 

Alboard  began. 

"  Stop,"  said  Moble ;  "  put  more  expression  in  it.  A 
poet  ought  to  enter  into  the  very  spirit  of  the  poem  he 
recites." 

And  Alboard  tried  again.  When  he  had  finished, 
Moble  asked: 

"  Where  is  your  Latin  scholar  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Pikeman,  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Yes,  bring  him  in." 

Alboard  went  off  and  soon  returned  with  Pikeman. 

"  Fins  out,"  and  Pikeman  stood  at  attention. 

"  I  understand  you  are  a  finished  Latin  scholar,  Mr. 
Pikeman." 

"  I  think  I  am,  sir.  I  graduated  at  the  Classical  Col- 
lege of  Pennsylvania." 

"  Decline  hie  for  us." 

"  Hie,  haec,  hoc,  hujus,  hujus,  hujus"  Pikeman  went 
on  well  till  he  reached  the  Accusative  and  Vocative. 

"  What  is  that  ?  A  finished  Latin  scholar  stumbling 
like  that  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes.    I  have  it  now — hank.    It's  hank" 

"  Now  repeat  that  word  so  you  won't  forget  it." 

"  Hank,  hank,  hank" 

Buck  began  to  smile. 

"  Wipe  off  that  smile,  Mr. " 

Buck  wiped  it  off. 


BUCK  MAKES  FRIENDS  33 

"  Go  on,  Mr.  Pikeman." 

"  Hank,  hank,  hank,  hank." 

It  was  too  much  for  Buck.     He  had  to  smile. 

"  Wipe  it  off,  I  tell  you.  Now  put  it  in  your  pocket 
and  look  solemn,  for  we  are  hearing  the  pure  Latin  from 
a  finished  Latin  scholar." 

"  Hank,  hank,  hank" 

From  that  day  Pikeman  was  called  "  Hank." 

Moble  noticed  the  big  book  on  Buck's  table. 

"  A  new  text-book,  eh !  A  religious  book  for  one  so 
young!  Tell  me  the  origin  of  the  Nicene  Creed." 

Moble  told  the  others  to  march  out  and  leave  the  the- 
ologian to  his  meditations,  and  he  went  out  himself. 

It  was  a  bad  day  for  Buck.  The  day  without  the  ab- 
sorption of  study  had  brought  on  an  aggravation  of  his 
homesickness.  Everybody  at  the  supper  table  thought  he 
looked  very  serious.  Mrs.  Connell  saw  him  slip  out  and 
go  to  St.  Anne's  for  evening  service. 

Before  going  to  bed  he  wrote  to  his  mother.  She  was 
not  surprised  to  read :  "  I  went  to  St.  Anne's,  a  very  old 
church,  for  service  this  morning  and  to-night.  The  Bishop 
of  Maryland  is  coming  next  Sunday.  I  intend  to  join  the 
church."  Mrs.  Jones  read  between  the  lines  that  he  was 
troubled,  though  he  never  made  any  mention  of  it. 

"  Yes,  he  is  nobly  doing  his  part"  she  reflected.  "  God 
will  take  care  of  him,"  and  she  went  on  in  peace,  though 
she  felt  her  bosom  heaving. 

Buck  was  up  early  and  had  put  in  an  hour's  work  on 
geography  by  the  time  the  other  candidates  assembled  for 
breakfast.  As  they  sat  down  Catell  asked  Buck  if  he  had 
been  well  coached. 

"  No,"  replied  Buck,  "  I  haven't  been  coached  at  all." 

"  Then  you  had  better  come  with  us  to  the  preparatory 
school  this  week." 


34  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  went  with  them  to  Professor  Tompkins. 

"  Turkey  Tompkins  will  give  you  a  lot  of  useful 
points,"  they  assured  him. 

Buck  remained  during  the  morning's  instructions, 
which  were  a  review  and  summing  up  of  the  rules  for 
spelling. 

At  the  dinner  table  Slinginbury  remarked  that  Turkey 
Tompkins  was  great. 

"  I  know  nearly  all  his  rules  now,  and  they  cover  the 
whole  language.  Mr.  Jones,  if  you  just  remember  those 
rules,  you  are  sure  to  pass." 

"  The  only  thing  I  remember,"  said  Buck,  "  is  that 
words  beginning  with  pro,  ex,  and  sue  have  eed,  and  all 
others  ede,  and  I  would  probably  spell  one  of  these  words 
without  thinking  about  the  rule.  It  is  too  late  now  for 
me  to  learn  rules." 

Buck  felt  that1  his  morning  had  been  wasted,  and  he 
determined  not  to  go  back  to  Turkey  Tompkins  any  more, 
though  he  had  enrolled  for  the  week. 

Slinginbury  confided  to  Catell  that  he  feared  Jones 
would  fail  on  spelling.  "  And  he  is  a  nice  fellow.  I  like 
him.  It  would  be  too  bad.  I  wish  I  could  help  him  get 
the  rules,  but  I  fear  nothing  can  be  done  for  him,  poor 
fellow.  Such  a  pity  he  didn't  come  three  or  four  months 
ago.  By  this  time  he  would  know  all  of  Turkey  Tomp- 
kins's  rules." 

"  He  hasn't  failed  yet,"  replied  Catell  laconically. 

After  dinner  Buck  went  over  to  Preble's  room.  Mrs. 
Preble  told  him  that  she  had  seen  five  heads  of  depart- 
ments thus  far,  and  that  all  were  willing  to  recommend 
that  her  son  be  turned  back  instead  of  bilged.  "  It  looks 
very  favorable.  I  shall  see  the  remaining  members  of  the 
Academic  Board  this  afternoon.  I  fear  some  trouble  from 
the  Superintendent.  He  is  a  great  disciplinarian  and 


BUCK  MAKES  FRIENDS  35 

scrupulously  conscientious,  and  fears  he  might  be  influ- 
enced by  his  great  admiration  and  love  for  my  son's  grand- 
father, with  whom  he  sailed  as  a  midshipman." 

"  By  the  way,  Preble,"  said  Buck,  "  don't  I  have  to 
report  to  the  Superintendent?  " 

"  You  certainly  do,  and  you  had  better  hurry  up." 

"  I  will  go  at  once.    Which  is  the  way  ?  " 

"  Wait  a  minute,  and  we  will  all  go  together." 

They  started  out — Buck,  Preble,  and  Mrs.  Preble. 
They  went  down  to  King  Edward  Street,  along  St.  John's 
College  campus. 

"  This  is  one  of  the  oldest  colleges  in  America,  and 
has  a  high  standard.  A  fine  lot  of  students  they  are,  too, 
but  they  can  never  touch  the  cadets  in  football  or  in  base- 
ball. They  have  a  good  deal  of  feeling,  and  cheer  for 
whatever  team  comes  to  play  against  us." 

"  That  seems  strange,"  said  Buck,  "  to  cheer  against 
the  home  team." 

"  It  is  even  stranger,"  continued  Preble,  "  all  the  town 
people  cheer  against  us,  and  even  the  mess-hall  boys  and 
yard  employees." 

"  I  can't  understand  it,"  said  Buck. 

They  turned  down  Prince  George  Street. 

"  What  quaint  old  names  for  the  streets !  Prince 
George,  King  George,  and  this  morning  on  the  way  to 
Turkey  Tompkins's  we  went  down  Duke  of  Gloucester 
Street.  It  sounds  like  colonial  days." 

They  turned  to  the  left  into  Maryland  Avenue,  and 
there  ahead,  square  across  the  street,  was  the  great  gate 
in  the  high  wall,  the  entrance  to  the  Naval  Academy. 
Buck  examined  every  detail  as  they  approached  and  passed 
through  the  smaller  side  gate. 

Buck  turned  around  to  look  at  the  sentry  again,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Marine  Corps,  the  corps  that  had  such  a  won- 


36  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

derf ul  record  for  efficiency  and  gallantry,  and  clothed  him 
in  his  mind  with  a  halo  of  glory. 

As  they  arrived  clear  of  the  house  on  the  left  Buck 
stopped  outright,  recognizing  the  New  Quarters. 

At  that  moment  the  bugle  sounded  the  call  for  section 
formation  for  the  first  afternoon  period. 

Cadets  began  to  pour  out  and  form  on  the  walk  in 
front. 

"  Jones,  you  had  better  not  linger.  They  are  all  look- 
ing at  you,  and  the  plebes  and  even  some  of  the  third 
classmen  are  already  laying  for  you.  They  call  you  the 
'  carpetbagger.'  It  all  comes  from  Jo-Jo  Kerr.  They  con- 
sider it  gaily  to  watch  them  at  a  formation  or  drill.  Jo- Jo 
has  already  spread  it  that  you  are  '  gaily.' ' 

"  I  never  said  anything  to  Jo-Jo  in  my  life." 

"  He  says  you  were  gaily  to  him  at  the  depot." 

"  I  looked  at  him.     That  was  all." 

They  turned  to  the  right  along  Blake  Row,  but  Buck 
could  not  help  looking  over  his  shoulder  at  the  formation. 
It  was  a  new  and  strange  world  to  him  where  he  was  for- 
bidden even  to  look  at  people. 

"  I  will  leave  you  here,"  said  Mrs.  Preble,  as  she 
turned  and  went  up  the  steps  of  the  handsome  house  on 
the  right. 

"  Mother  has  gone  in  to  see  Billy  Kendrick,"  Preble 
remarked.  "  He  is  the  head  of  the  Department  of  Mathe- 
matics. He  lives  there.  Billy  is  a  good  man.  He  is 
awfully  nice  to  the  savey  men,  and  frequently  takes  the 
first  section  himself;  but  he  is  hard  on  the  wooden  men. 
Things  are  so  clear  to  him,  he  can't  understand  why  they 
are  not  clear  to  others." 

Buck  began  to  look  at  the  buildings  with  renewed  in- 
terest. 

"  What  a  beautiful  church!  "  he  .exclaimed. 


BUCK  MAKES  FRIENDS  37 

"  That  is  the  chapel.  They  hold  service  there  every 
Sunday  morning,  and  everybody  must  go  except  a  few  who 
go  out  in  town  to  other  churches." 

"  That's  a  good  thing,"  said  Buck,  "  to  have  every- 
body go  to  church  every  Sunday.  They  don't  even  do  that 
in  Sumter,  where  the  college  is  a  church  college.  Naval 
officers  must  be  unusually  religious  men,"  he  added. 

"  They  really  are,"  said  Preble.  "  My  mother  says  so, 
though  they  are  not  so  considered  generally.  After  church 
there  is  Sunday  school  for  the  children  in  the  yard,  with 
a  Bible  class  for  cadets,  and  in  the  afternoon  there  is  a 
meeting  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A." 

"  This  building  ahead  is  the  library  and  Superintend- 
ent's office.  Go  up  the  steps,  and  you  will  see  the  orderly 
outside.  He  will  announce  you.  I  will  walk  up  and  down 
Buchanan  Kow  here  till  you  come  out" 

"  Buchanan  Row,  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes.  It  is  named  for  Captain  Buchanan,  who  was 
the  first  superintendent  of  the  Naval  Academy,  and  later 
joined  the  Confederate  Navy  and  commanded  the  Mer- 
rimac" 

"  I  am  named  for  him.  My  name  is  Buchanan.  They 
call  me  Buck  in  Sumter." 

From  that  time  Preble  called  him  Buck,  and  people 
began  to  call  him  Buck  generally ;  and  everybody  came  to 
know  him  as  "  Buck  Jones." 

He  went  up  the  steps  with  some  trepidation.  There 
was  the  orderly. 

"  Oh,  he  is  a  marine,"  exclaimed  Buck  to  himself,  and 
aloud :  "  I  am  Buchanan  Polk  Jones,  a  candidate,  and 
have  come  to  report  to  the  Superintendent." 

The  orderly  saluted,  and  passed  in  a  door  on  the  right. 

"  The  Superintendent  says  to  come  in,  sir,"  and  the 
orderly  held  the  door  wide  open. 


38  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  stepped  in.  His  heart  was  pounding  hard, 
though  there  was  no  visible  sign  of  emotion  when  Captain 
Rumsey  looked  up,  with  his  clear,  calm  gray  eyes.  Cap- 
tain Rumsey  with  his  gray  mustache  and  gray  hair  and 
calm,  dignified  manner  was  his  very  ideal. 

"  I  have  come  to  report,  sir,"  said  Buck,  handing  out 
his  letter  of  instruction  from  the  Navy  Department. 

The  Captain  took  the  document,  examined  it  briefly, 
and  said  quietly  but  very  distinctly : 

"  Orderly,  take  this  to  the  Secretary."  And  to  Buck: 
"  Mr.  Jones,  please  go  with  the  orderly.  The  Secretary 
will  give  you  further  instructions." 

Buck  went  out  feeling  that  his  naval  life  had  begun. 
He  had  been  saluted  by  a  marine,  and  had  been  spoken 
to  as  "  Mr.  Jones  "  by  the  Superintendent  himself.  When 
he  stepped  out  on  the  high  veranda,  after  getting  his  in- 
structions about  reporting  for  physical  and  mental  exam- 
inations, Buck  paused  a  moment  and  looked  out  to  the 
right,  across  the  harbor,  across  the  bay.  A  big  steamer 
for  Baltimore  was  passing,  far  out,  leaving  a  long  trail  of 
smoke.  A  full-rigged  ship  with  all  sails  set  was  standing 
down  for  the  Capes.  Fishing  smack  were  riding  at  anchor 
close  in.  Buck  had  never  seen  a  vessel  of  any  kind  before, 
had  never  seen  a  sheet  of  water  larger  than  Cove's  Mill 
Pond.  It  was  like  a  vision.  "  How  wonderful  it  all  is," 
he  thought,  and  then  he  looked  to  the  left  across  the  Naval 
Academy  grounds,  the  shade  trees,  the  green  lawn,  the 
picturesque  buildings,  the  monuments,  and  high  up  over 
all  he  saw  the  flag  flying  in  the  breeze. 

"  How  glorious,  how  glorious  it  will  be  to  serve  under 
the  flag  all  my  life !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  The  thing  to  do 
now  is  to  pass  the  examination !  "  He  rejoined  Preble 
and  returned  to  his  boarding  house,  resolved  not  to  lose 
a  minute  from  his  books. 


BUCK  MAKES  FRIENDS  39 

About  ten  o'clock  that  night  Preble  came  into  Buck's 
room.  "  Still  studying,  Buck  ?  Didn't  you  hear  the  gun 
fire  half  an  hour  ago  ?  Gun  fire  ends  the  day's  work.  It 
is  certainly  long  enough,  and  only  a  half-hour's  recreation 
remains  before  taps  at  ten." 

"  I  have  mapped  out  the  remaining  days  up  to  eleven," 
said  Buck.  "  I  am  so  glad,  Preble,  that  you  are  not  to  be 
bilged,"  he  added. 

"  Buck,  we  must  room  together." 

"  That  will  be  fine,  but  the  thing  to  do  now  is  for  me 
to  pass  the  examinations  and  get  in." 

"  You  stick  at  it  better  than  I  could,  Buck.  I  am 
glad  I  don't  have  to  pass  the  entrance  examinations  again." 

Preble  left,  and  Buck  studied  till  eleven ;  then  he  read 
his  chapter  in  the  Bible,  said  his  prayers,  went  to  bed,  and 
slept  like  a  log  till  he  was  called  at  morning  gun  fire  at  six. 
Mrs.  Connell  let  him  have  an  early  breakfast,  and  at  seven 
he  had  begun  the  next  day's  work. 

"  I'd  like  to  stay  a  little  longer  on  algebra,"  he  thought, 
"  but  I  have  carefully  mapped  out  the  time.  To-day  is  for 
history." 

He  put  the  algebra  aside  and  took  up  history,  and 
allotted  the  time  to  various  parts  so  as  to  complete  the 
review  by  eleven  o'clock  that  night,  and  he  went  through 
the  day  on  schedule  time. 

Wednesday  morning  the  physical  examinations  began. 
The  matter  was  brought  up  at  the  breakfast  table. 

"  How  fast  do  they  go,  Preble  ?  "  asked  Catell. 

"  About  eight  or  ten  a  day." 

"  Then  I  am  liable  to  come  on  late  this  afternoon, 
and,"  he  added,  "  Jones  will  probably  come  on  to-morrow 
afternoon.  I  will  drop  by  his  room  and  let  him  know." 

They  saw  little  of  Buck  during  these  days,  but  a  strong 
liking  was  growing  up  between  him  and  Catell.  Catell 


40  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

was  three  years  his  senior,  and  had  come  to  realize  that 
Buck's  unusual  powers  of  concentration  were  liable  to  cause 
him  to  overlook  things  not  before  him  at  the  time. 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  for  your  coming  to  tell  me, 
Catell.  I  will  go  down  about  three  to-morrow,"  and  he 
wrote  this  down  on  his  schedule. 

"  Perhaps  it  might  be  well  for  you  to  let  up  on  study- 
ing a  little,  especially  for  the  sake  of  your  eyes." 

"  I  don't  see  how  I  can  do  it.  Every  minute  of  the 
time  is  now  laid  out,  and  the  whole  of  to-morrow  is  for 
grammar." 

When  Buck  appeared  at  "  Sick  Quarters "  at  three 
o'clock  next  day  he  had  his  grammar  with  him.  The  two 
candidates  whose  names  preceded  his  alphabetically,  Jenks 
and  John,  were  still  waiting.  Buck  sat  down  in  the  wait- 
ing room  and  soon  became  absorbed  in  his  grammar. 

"  I  don't  see  how  Jones  can  study,"  said  Jenks,  "  while 
a  man  is  being  examined  in  the  next  room." 

But  Buck's  concentration  was  such  that  he  was  un- 
conscious of  what  was  going  on  until  at  last  the  attendant 
spoke  to  him. 

"  They  are  ready  for  you,  sir." 

Buck  stripped  in  the  dressing  room,  and  stepped  in 
before  the  two  surgeons  and  recorder.  One  of  the  surgeons 
began  to  examine,  and  the  recorder  began  to  enter  the 
record : 

Name,  Buchanan  Polk  Jones. 
Age,  14  years,  7  months,  17  days. 
Height,  5  feet,  6^  inches. 
Weight,  137^  pounds. 
Hair,  light,  medium. 
Eyes,  gray. 
Chest,  33  inches. 
Waist,  29  inches. 


BUCK  MAKES  FRIENDS  41 

"  Now  draw  a  deep,  full  breath,"  directed  the  surgeon. 
Chest  expansion,  2|  inches. 

"  I  can  do  better  than  that,"  said  Buck.    "  I  am  sure." 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  try  again." 

The  second  surgeon  then  began  to  thump  on  his  chest 
and  below  and  back  of  his  shoulders. 

"  I  wonder  what  those  sounds  mean,"  Buck  said  to 
himself  with  some  apprehension.  He  had  never  seen  or 
heard  anything  like  that  before. 

The  surgeon  put  his  ear  against  the  surface. 

"  Draw  deep  breaths." 

Buck's  apprehension  increased. 

"  I  wonder  what  he  has  found." 

Then  the  surgeon  applied  the  stethoscope  over  his  heart 
and  listened.  Buck  had  never  realized  that  he  had  any 
organs.  He  had  never  been  sick  since  he  had  the  measles 
as  a  very  young  child,  and  he  remembered  nothing  un- 
pleasant about  them.  He  suddenly  realized  that  he  was 
full  of  "  insides." 

"  Come  and  listen  to  this,"  said  the  surgeon,  as  he 
beckoned  to  the  other  one.  The  second  one  listened,  and 
nodded  his  head. 

"  I'm  lost,"  thought  Buck. 

"  Stand  at  this  mark,"  the  first  surgeon  said,  as  he 
went  over  and  uncovered  lines  of  varying  sizes  of  letters. 
"  Can  you  read  the  letters  in  this  line  ? "  he  asked,  as  he 
pointed  to  the  third  to  the  lowest. 

"  Yes,  sir."    Buck  read  them  off. 

"  Can  you  read  any  in  this  line  ?  "  and  he  pointed  one 
line  higher. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  and  Buck  read  them  off  also. 

"  Can  you  make  out  any  in  this  line  ?  "  and  he  pointed 
still  another  higher. 
4 


42  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Yes,  sir.  H — B — I  can't  quite  tell  whether  the  next 
is  C  or  G." 

"  That  will  do." 

"  I  wonder  if  I  failed  there,  too,"  murmured  Buck. 

"  Pick  out  the  blues  among  these  bunches  of  worsted." 

Buck  began  to  pick  them  out. 

"  What  do  you  call  this  shade  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  Bird's-egg  blue  ?  I  have  seen 
birds'  eggs  like  it." 

"  Would  you  call  this  a  blue  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,  sir.  That  is  more  a  violet,  though  I 
don't  know  the  name." 

"  Pick  out  the  greens." 

Buck  began  picking  them  out. 

"  Pick  out  the  yellows — pick  out  the  reds.  Do  you 
call  this  a  red  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.     I  would  call  that  a  pink." 

"  Do  you  know  the  name  ?  " 

"  I  have  heard  that  shade  called  ashes  of  roses,  and 
I  have  seen  it  in  the  sky  at  sunset." 

"  That  will  do." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  was  very  poor  on  that,  too.  How  stupid 
I  have  been  to  go  along  all  the  time  and  not  learn  the 
names  of  colors  that  I  continually  see." 

Then  they  blindfolded  him. 

"  I  wonder  what  this  means !  " 

"  Do  you  hear  a  watch  ticking  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Do  you  hear  it  now  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Let  me  know  when  you  cease  to  hear  it.  You  still 
hear  it?" 

"  Yes,  sir.    It  has  stopped  now." 

They  took  the  bandage  off. 


BUCK  MAKES  FRIENDS  43 

"  That  is  all." 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  said  the  second  surgeon,  and  he 
tested  Buck's  eyes  for  vision  at  short  distances.  Then  he 
tested  for  lateral  range.  "  You  may  go  now.  Only  a 
microscopic  test  remains." 

It  was  six  o'clock  when  Buck  reached  his  boarding 
house,  but  he  got  in  forty-five  minutes  on  his  grammar 
before  the  supper  bell  rang. 

"  How  did  you  come  out  on  the  physical  ?  "  asked 
Catell. 

"  I  think  they  found  something  wrong  with  my  in- 
sides." 

"  You  can  never  tell,"  said  Preble,  "  until  it  is  posted 
day  after  to-morrow." 

Saturday  morning,  while  Buck  was  absorbed  in  his 
review  of  arithmetic,  Preble  rushed  into  his  room,  pant- 
ing: 

"  You  passed,  Buck." 

"Passed  what?" 

"  The  physical." 

"  Oh,  yes.    Did  Catell  pass,  too  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  notice." 

In  fact,  Preble  had  not  noticed  for  anyone  but  Buck. 
He  had-i>een  waiting  at  the  Old  Recitation  Hall  ever  since 
eight  o'clock  for  the  results  to  be  posted.  When  the  list 
of  those  that  had  failed  was  finally  put  in  the  bulletin 
board,  Preble  ran  over  the  list  for  the  names  beginning 
with  J.  Buck's  was  not  there.  He  went  over  it  again  to 
make  sure.  Then  he  started  for  the  boarding  house,  and 
didn't  stop  till  he  reached  Buck's  room. 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  Preble,  for  bringing  me 
word,"  and  Buck  turned  to  his  work,  and  was  forthwith 
absorbed  again.  Later  he  learned  that  Preble  had  run  the 
whole  way. 


44  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  What  a  fine  fellow  he  is,"  Buck  thought  to  himself. 
Shortly  after  Preble  left,  to  go  back  to  the  academy  to 
read  the  list  over  at  leisure,  Catell  came  in. 

"  Jones,  you  passed  all  right." 

"  Did  you  pass,  too,  Catell  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  am  so  glad." 

"  Did  Hank  Pikeman  pass?  " 

"  Yes." 

Buck  said  nothing. 

"  Little  Harry  Billerson  failed.  Deficient  in  height. 
He  is  only  4  feet  11£  inches,  but  he  says  the 'Secretary  of 
the  Navy  promised  his  sister  to  waive  the  deficiency  pro- 
vided he  would  make  it  up  during  the  first  year." 

"  Ten  failed  out  of  fifty-one."  Catell  was  always  ex- 
act. "  It  was  a  stiff  exam.  You  must  be  sound  all  the 
way  through  to  have  passed." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  Buck,  "  but  the  surgeons  both 
listened  with  the  instrument  over  my  heart  and  nodded  to 
each  other,"  and  Buck  turned  to  his  work  again. 

The  fact  is,  the  surgeons  were  astonished  at  the 
strength  of  Buck's  heart.  When  Buck  left  the  examining 
room  the  first  surgeon  said :  "  Have  you  ever  come  across 
a  pulse  as  low  ?  " 


CHAPTEE   VI 

BUCK   USES   HIS   KNOWLEDGE,   AND   LEABNS   MORE 

THE  boarders  were  all  assembled  at  the  Sunday  din- 
ner table  except  Buck,  who  was  a  little  late. 

"  Mr.  Jones  was  in  the  confirmation  class  this 
morning,"  Mrs.  Connell  remarked. 

"  Indeed !  "  said  several  voices.     "  Are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  saw  him  confirmed  myself." 

"  I  am  not  surprised,"  said  Catell. 

"  Nor  am  I,"  said  Preble. 

"  What  a  queer,  simple  fellow  he  is,"  remarked  Al- 
board. 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  with  Mr.  Moble  that  there 
is  a  great  deal  of  show  and  hypocrisy  under  the  cloak  of 
religion,"  said  Pikeman.  He  noticed  there  was  very  little 
sympathy  in  the  looks  of  the  guests,  even  of  the  candidates 
who  had  come  to  look  upon  everything  he  said  as  gospel 
truth.  Mrs.  Connell  frowned  distinctly.  Nothing  further 
was  said  on  the  subject,  for  Buck  came  in  at  that  time,  and 
ate  his  dinner  quietly. 

"  Would  you  like  to  take  a  walk  this  afternoon, 
Catell?"  he  asked. 

"  I  should  love  to  go,  but  I  must  study  up  on  algebra. 
It  comes  to-morrow,  you  know." 

"  I  suppose  you  know  everything  in  the  algebra,  the 
way  you  have  been  slaving,  Mr.  Jones,"  put  in  Pikeman. 

45 


46  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  No ;  I  didn't  get  to  take  up  any  original  problems, 
and  I  feel  weak  on  that  account." 

"  Why  don't  you  stay  at  home  and  study  them  up 
then,  instead  of  going  to  walk,"  advised  Preble. 

"  I  have  never  studied  on  Sunday  heretofore,  and  have 
decided  to  keep  on  the  same  way,"  answered  Buck. 

Pikeman  smiled  sneeringly  to  the  other  candidates. 

Buck  took  a  walk  in  the  afternoon,  and  that  night  went 
to  evening  service.  Then  wrote  to  his  mother : 

"  I  have  decided  to  write  home  every  Sunday  night, 
but  I  hope  the  family  will  write  me  two  or  three  letters 
to  my  one.  Your  sweet  letter  that  came  Friday  morning 
was  a  great  treat.  We  don't  have  much  affection  up  here, 
though  there  are  two  fellow  boarders  I  am  becoming  very 
fond  of,  named  Preble  and  Catell.  I  knew  you  would 
approve  my  decision  to  join  the  church.  The  Bishop  is 
here,  and  I  was  confirmed  with  the  others  this  morning. 
I  wasn't  quite  sure  that  it  was  right  for  me  to  do  so  on 
account  of  the  unsettled  state  of  my  faith,  but  I  felt  that 
I  ought  to  do  my  part." 

Buck  took  out  his  mother's  letter  and  read  it  over 
again,  and  tears  gathered  in  his  eyes,  in  spite  of  his  efforts 
to  keep  them  back.  He  was  strong  and  brave,  but  he 
missed  the  affection  of  home.  The  rigid  routine  he  fol- 
lowed kept  him  absorbed  during  the  week,  but  it  left  his 
heart  hungry,  and  on  Sunday  the  reaction  came.  He  was 
very  young  for  his  boyhood  to  be  cut  off,  and  he  craved 
the  touch  of  his  mother's  hand.  Since  a  tiny  lad  he  had 
been  accustomed  to  sit  beside  her  and  at  her  feet,  and  lay 
his  head  on  her  lap,  and  she  would  stroke  his  forehead 
and  pass  her  fingers  through  his  hair  while  the  conversa- 
tion went  on. 

The  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock  the  forty-seven  can- 
didates were  at  their  allotted  desks  in  the  armory,  when 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  47 

the  algebra  examination  papers  were  distributed.  Preble 
came  down  with  Buck,  though  he  did  not  have  to  take  the 
examination  himself.  As  they  arrived  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore eight,  Preble  said  to  Buck :  "  See  that  officer  with  the 
black  mustache  and  black  hair  ?  That's  Dodgeson.  He's 
a  math  fiend ;  his  eyes  are  like  coals  of  fire." 

When  Lieutenant  Dodgeson  passed  the  examination 
papers  around,  the  candidates  quailed  when  his  eyes  caught 
theirs.  Buck  muttered  to  himself:  "  He  must  be  a  fiend." 

"  The  dignified  officer  with  the  side  whiskers,"  con- 
tinued Preble,  "  is  Billy  Kendricks,  head  of  the  depart- 
ment. I  think  you  will  like  him." 

"  I  think  I  shall  like  him,"  said  Buck  to  himself,  as 
he  saw  Billy's  genial  smile. 

"  The  space  behind  these  partitions  is  for  fencing," 
added  Preble. 

Buck  was  eager  to  see  and  begin  fencing.  He  was 
fascinated  with  the  armory,  the  long  racks  along  the  sides 
with  the  bright  rifles  glowing  in  the  light,  over  the  field 
pieces  of  artillery,  rolled  down  to  the  other  end,  their 
muzzles  looking  straight  at  the  candidates,  the  swords  and 
cutlasses  and  bayonets  against  the  partition  arranged  like 
stars  and  wheels.  It  was  a  sight  to  fascinate  an  eager, 
high-strung  country  boy  with  warm  military  blood  driven 
with  pressure  through  his  veins. 

But  when  the  bell  struck,  Buck  dropped  the  armory 
from  mind,  and  concentrated  his  whole  thought  upon  the 
examination  paper.  There  were  twelve  separate  "  ques- 
tions." Buck  did  not  stop  to  read  them  over,  but  attacked 
the  first  question  forthwith.  In  a  few  minutes  it  was 
done.  Buck  knew  it  was  all  right.  The  second  question 
was  likewise  quickly  dispatched — the  third — the  fourth — 
the  fifth.  "  It  is  a  very  easy  examination,"  he  was  saying 
to  himself;  the  clock  showed  ten  minutes  past  nine.  He 


48  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

had  finished  five  questions  in  one  hour  and  ten  minutes. 
At  that  rate  he  would  finish  by  eleven,  and  have  one  hour 
to  spare.  He  wondered  why  Preble  had  cautioned  him 
particularly  to  husband  his  time  and  not  linger.  He  began 
to  read  the  sixth  question.  He  read  it  through,  then  read 
it  over  again  carefully.  He  had  never  seen  anything  like 
that. 

As  he  looked  up  from  the  second  reading  he  saw  Billy 
Kendricks  smile.  Billy  had  been  watching  him.  It  was 
the  same  smile  of  satisfaction  he  was  destined  to  see  many 
times  in  the  section  room.  Original  problems  were  Billy's 
cherished  domain.  He  usually  took  the  first  section  for 
himself,  because  he  felt  warranted  in  throwing  original 
problems  at  the  first-section  men.  He  had  had  many 
years  of  experience,  and  maintained  that  the  original 
problem  is  the  true  test  of  the  pupil.  Almost  every  exam- 
ination in  Billy's  department  had  the  original  problem, 
but  it  was  usually  put  at  the  end,  and  was  extra.  He  had 
put  this  one  in  the  middle,  before  enough  questions  had 
been  completed  to  pass,  in  order  to  test  the  courage  of  the 
candidates,  and  then  he  sat  watching  the  candidates  as  they 
reached  the  sixth  question.  He  saw  the  first  one  glance 
at  it,  then  skip  it  and  pass  on ;  the  same  with  the  next ;  he 
noticed  that  Catell  read  it  through  carefully,  but  then 
dropped  it  and  went  on ;  when  he  saw  Buck  read  it  through 
the  second  time,  and  then  begin  to  figure  on  a  piece  of 
scribbling  paper,  deep  in  thought,  he  smiled  radiantly.  All 
the  others  in  turn  dropped  it  and  went  on.  From  this  time 
Billy  had  eyes  only  for  Buck.  He  saw  him  work  for 
twenty  minutes,  then  sit  up  and  look  at  the  result,  and 
look  at  the  clock,  and  think  awhile,  and  take  up  another 
scribbling  sheet  and  start  again.  For  thirty-five  minutes 
he  worked  without  raising  his  head ;  then  he  stopped  and 
thought  for  twelve  minutes  without  working  a  figure,  his 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  49 

brow  contracted  in  great  concentration.  He  looked  at  the 
cl  ^k  with  a  glance  of  apprehension,  and  took  another 
scribbling  sheet  and  began  work,  only  to  stop  again,  and 
start  another  sheet  and  then  another.  The  clock  struck 
eleven.  The  uneasy  look  on  his  face  became  tragic.  Billy 
smiled  through  his  whole  being.  No  bliss  of  paradise  could 
surpass  this.  Not  that  Billy  was  malicious;  on  the  con- 
trary, he  was  as  kind  and  tender  at  heart  as  a  woman,  and 
that  tragic  look  on  the  boy's  face  under  any  other  circum- 
stances would  have  brought  out  great  fatherly  sympathy. 
But  in  the  struggle  of  a  determined  young  mind  to  con- 
quer a  new  foe  in  an  unknown  realm  of  mathematics,  Billy 
saw  the  whole  epitome  of  human  life  as  it  has  gradually 
conquered  nature.  In  such  a  struggle  Billy  saw  the  high- 
est majesty  of  mind. 

About  11.20  Buck  sat  up  again.  Billy  never  for- 
got the  look  on  his  face.  It  was  even  more  than  phe- 
nomenon of  mind.  It  was  the  spirit  grappling  with  the 
despair  of  the  mind,  wherein  the  soul  proves  its  kinship  to 
divinity.  The  boy's  teeth  were  clinched;  his  actions  were 
slow,  deliberate ;  there  was  not  a  tremor ;  spirit  held  abso- 
lute dominion.  He  deliberately  gathered  up  the  trial 
sheets,  examined  them  carefully,  one  by  one,  here  and 
there  copying  their  results  on  a  fresh  sheet-  He  jotted 
down  what  must  have  been  a  plan,  then  deliberately  started 
again.  Now  and  then  he  paused,  but  never  raised  his  eyes 
once,  not  even  when  Dodgeson  called  out,  "  Fifteen  min- 
utes more,  get  your  papers  ready."  Even  Billy's  heart 
began  to  melt  with  pity.  He  walked  down  the  aisle  and 
stood  near  Buck,  and  saw  the  last  figures  go  down  in  a 
long  chain  of  processes.  As  Buck  stopped,  Billy  saw  that 
he  had  the  answer.  Buck  drew  a  double  line  under  the 
answer,  but  never  looked  up  as  he  took  up  the  examination 
paper  again.  In  seven  minutes  he  had  finished  the  seventh 


50  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

question.  Five  minutes  remained.  Steadily  and  delio- 
erately  he  went  ahead  on  the  eighth  question.  The  clock 
struck  twelve. 

"  Turn  in  your  papers,"  called  out  Dodgeson. 

Buck  looked  up  and  asked : 

"  May  I  have  fifteen  minutes  more,  sir  ?  " 

"No,  sir,  not  a  minute.  Turn  your  papers  in  in- 
stantly," shouted  Dodgeson,  as  he  stamped  his  foot  for 
emphasis. 

"  It  is  very  different  from  the  examination  at  the  Sum- 
ter  College,"  reflected  Buck,  as  he  turned  in  his  papers, 
knowing  that  in  three  minutes  more  he  could  have  com- 
pleted the  eighth  question,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  could 
have  been  sure  of  passing. 

"  Let  me  have  your  scribbling  sheet,  Mr.  Jones,"  di- 
rected Billy.  Buck  was  very  reluctant  to  turn  in  the  evi- 
dences of  his  wild  digressions,  but  he  obeyed. 

"  Mr.  Dodgeson,  I  will  take  and  examine  Mr.  Jones's 
papers  myself,"  and  Billy  gathered  them  all  up  and  bore 
them  away  in  triumph.  As  he  left,  he  couldn't  help 
confiding  to  Dodgeson,  "  I  watched  Mr.  Jones  put  in 
exactly  two  hours  and  thirty-seven  minutes  on  the  sixth 
question." 

"  He  must  be  close  kin  to  a  fool,"  remarked  Dodgeson. 
But  this  retort  did  not  disturb  Billy's  supreme  satisfaction. 

At  the  dinner  table  the  candidates  were  exchanging 
notes  on  the  examination.  Everyone  noticed  how  silent 
Buck  remained. 

"Did  you  pass,  Jones?"  asked  Pikeman,  with  a  ma- 
licious smile  around  the  corners  of  his  lips.  He,  too,  had 
watched  Buck  during  the  examination,  and  guessed  what 
was  the  matter. 

"  No,  I  failed,"  replied  Buck. 

Pikeman  gloated. 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  51 

"  Did  you  try  the  sixth  question  ?  "  asked  Catell  with 
sympathy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Buck,  "  I  began  it  at  a  little  after  nine 
and  left  it  at  twelve  minutes  of  twelve." 

"  Of  course  he  has  failed,"  concluded  Pikeman,  and 
he  laughed  out  loud. 

"  Did  you  try  it,  Hank  ?  "  asked  Catell. 

"  No,  I  wasn't  such  a  fool." 

Buck  didn't  resent  the  imputation,  but  rather  relished 
finding  some  one  else  of  his  own  opinion. 

At  the  examination  in  arithmetic  the  next  day  Buck 
found  no  difficulty  in  completing  all  the  questions  by 
11.15.  He  sat  around  awhile,  then  turned  in  his  papers. 
Catell,  Gust,  Pikeman,  and  a  few  others  remained  till 
the  end. 

"  Jones,  why  did  you  leave  so  early  ?  "  asked  Catell  at 
dinner. 

"  I  had  finished." 

"  So  had  I  finished,  but  I  went  back  and  checked  up 
my  work,  and  copied  part  of  it  over  again.  Everything 
counts.  That's  what  the  other  fellows  were  doing." 

This  brought  out  Buck's  weakness,  if  it  was  a  weak- 
ness. His  mind  turned  its  power  upon  the  main  ques- 
tions, and  gave  scant  consideration  to  accessories.  He 
would  work  out  the  last  essential  detail  for  his  plan,  but 
he  would  not  pause  a  moment  for  appearances. 

"  I  realized  that  I  might  make  my  papers  look  better, 
and  there  was  ample  time.  Maybe  I  was  too  lazy  to  go 
over  them  again.  Anyhow,  I  decided  to  come  away  and 
take  up  to-morrow's  examination." 

The  next  day  the  examination  was  grammar.  Catell 
went  over  to  Preble's  room  before  breakfast,  with  a  look  of 
anxiety  on  his  face. 

"  You  know  Jones  better  than  the  rest  of  us.     Won't 


52  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

you  warn  him  to  be  careful  about  the  form  of  his 
work,  and  the  neatness  and  looks  of  his  examination 
papers  ? " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Preble.  "  It  is  very  important,  par- 
ticularly with  the  present  regime  in  the  English  Depart- 
ment." 

"  I  need  a  little  fresh  air,  and  will  walk  down  with 
you  this  morning,  Buck." 

"  That  will  be  nice,  Preble/'  and  the  two  left  the 
boarding  house  together. 

Preble  took  Buck  by  the  arm  as  they  walked  along. 

"  You  probably  find  the  exams  here  different  from 
those  in  Alabama." 

"  Very  different,  indeed." 

"  In  the  English  Department,  where  you  begin  to-day, 
they  are  the  worst  sticklers  for  form  and  appearances  I 
ever  saw.  It  is  all  nonsense,  of  course,  but  they  will  cut 
your  mark  down  mercilessly  for  the  most  trivial  things. 
I  have  known  them  to  bilge  many  bright  cadets  for  nothing 
more  than  to  neglect  in  form  and  neatness. 

Buck  drank  it  all  in,  and  resolved  to  be  particularly 
careful  in  everything. 

Preble  stopped  Buck  at  the  entrance  of  the  armory. 

"  I  see  Billy  Fray  is  in  charge.  He's  the  worst  on 
earth !  He's  the  professor  in  cits.  The  officer  in  uniform 
is  Schyler,  head  of  the  department.  You  had  better  be 
on  your  guard."  Preble  turned  back. 

Buck  went  in  with  grave  misgiving  and  found  his  desk. 
There  was  everything:  a  clean,  new  pad  of  large,  heavy 
paper,  prepared  especially  for  the  English  Department ;  a 
bottle  of  ink,  a  fresh  blotter,  a  new  penholder  and  two 
new  fine-pointed  pens,  all  neatly  arranged  on  the  desk. 
Buck  shrank  back  at  the  sight  of  the  fine-pointed  pens.  If 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  53 

there  was  anything  in  inanimate  nature  he  hated,  it  was  a 
fine-pointed  pen. 

When  the  candidates  were  all  seated,  Billy  Fray  struck 
the  bell  on  the  table  and  proceeded  to  give  instructions. 
Billy  held  his  face  pointed  upward  at  about  the  angle  at 
which  a  mortar  fires.  "  Write  your  name  in  full  on  the 
upper  left-hand  line  of  each  sheet;  use  both  sides,  and 
number  the  pages  consecutively  in  the  upper  right-hand 
corner,  half  an  inch  from  each  edge;  leave  a  margin  on 
the  left-hand  side  of  a  half  inch  and  on  the  right  side  of  a 
quarter  of  an  inch;  allow  an  inch  on  the  new  line  for  a 
new  paragraph,  and  skip  a  line  for  each  new  question. 
Copy  each  question,  and  allow  a  line  before  beginning  the 
answer.  When  through,  skip  a  line,  and  submit  your  pa- 
pers according  to  the  form  prescribed  by  the  U.  S.  Navy 
regulations  for  an  official  communication  to  a  command- 
ing officer.  In  this  case,  '  To  Commander  John  Schyler, 
U.  S.  Navy,  Head  of  Department  of  English  Studies,  His- 
tory, and  Law.'  You  may  now  begin." 

The  look  of  consternation  on  the  faces  of  the  candi- 
dates was  something  to  make  the  angels  weep. 

"  How  much  margin  on  the  left  ?  "  asked  little  Harry 
Billerson. 

"  I  said  half  an  inch,"  answered  Billy,  showing  his 
teeth  with  an  unutterable  scorn  that  made  little  Harry 
shrink  still  smaller.  "  Come  up  in  person  if  you  wish  to 
ask  me  any  questions." 

A  number  went  up.  Each  one  received  the  look  of 
scorn.  When  all  had  finished,  Buck  went  up,  calm,  de- 
liberate, but  the  picture  of  distress. 

"  Please,  sir,  may  I  have  a  stub  pen  ?  " 

"No,  sir;  stub  pens  are  for  savages." 

Buck  went  back  to  his  desk  and  went  ahead  with  the 
fine-pointed  pen,  though  it  was  like  agony.  As  he  was 


54  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

about  to  turn  over  the  first  page,  he  made  a  big  blot  with 
his  new  pen.  Buck  only  completed  the  last  question  as 
Billy  struck  the  bell. 

"  Stop  work  and  arrange  your  papers.  Verify  that 
the  pages  are  numbered  consecutively.  Don't  forget  to  sub- 
mit the  papers  as  directed." 

Buck  submitted  his  paper : 

"  Respectfully  submitted, 

"  BUCHANAN  POLK  JONES. 
"  To  Commander  John  Schyler." 

He  was  not  certain  about  this  being  correct,  so  he  sum- 
moned up  courage  and  went  up  to  Billy  again. 

"  Is  this  the  way  you  mean,  sir  ?  " 

Billy  took  the  page  and  looked  at  it,  and  his  vials  of 
wrath  overflowed.  To  Buck  the  black  of  Billy's  eyes 
seemed  to  cover  the  white. 

"  Commander  John  Schyler,"  he  repeated,  "  Com- 
mander in  the  English  Navy  ?  Commander  in  the  German 
Navy  ?  Commander  in  the  Japanese  Navy  ?  Or  is  he  Com- 
mander in  the  Revenue,  Marine,  or  Merchant  service  ?  " 

Buck  had  no  defense  to  make. 

"  Put  '  U.  S.  Navy  '  after  this,  and  add,  '  Head  of  the 
Department  of  English  Studies,  History,  and  Law.' ' 

Commander  Schyler,  with  tightly  closed  lips  and  al- 
most ferocious  eyes,  stood  behind  Billy,  the  incarnation  of 
pitiless  power  and  authority. 

Everybody  loved  Billy  Fray,  except  candidates  and 
plebes.  He  really  had  a  most  lovable  nature.  When  he 
made  his  reports  on  the  examinations,  he  took  Buck's  pa- 
pers over  with  him. 

"  Here  is  an  interesting  case,  Captain,"  he  said  to 
Schyler.  "  Young  Jones,  B.  P.,  has  shown  a  remarkable 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  55 

grasp  of  the  subjects,  particularly  in  history  where  it 
touched  on  the  navy,  but  I  have  never  seen  such  lack  of  at- 
tention to  form  and  appearances.  Look  at  this  page,  for  in- 
stance. There  are  no  less  than  four  blots  on  the  one  page, 
and  the  margin  is  as  crooked  as  a  rail  fence,  and  look  how 
the  lines  run  uphill." 

By  Friday  night  the  examinations  were  over.  The 
names  of  those  who  had  failed  were  to  be  posted  Saturday 
morning,  with  notice  of  the  time  for  reexamination — the 
second  examination  to  be  final. 

The  boarders  at  Mrs.  Connell's  were  figuring  and  com- 
paring notes. 

"  Jones,  you  think  you  made  it  all  right,  except  in 
algebra  ?  "  said  Preble. 

"  Yes,  I  think  so." 

"  It  will  be  easy  to  make  that  on  the  reexam." 

"  Give  me  exactly  what  you  did,"  said  Catell,  as  he 
began  to  figure.  "  The  first  seven  questions,  and  part  of 
the  eighth;  seven  questions  out  of  twelve  would  give  you 
two-thirty-three.  Seven-and-a-half  questions  would  give 
you  an  even  two-five." 

"  I  got  a  little  beyond  the  middle  of  the  eighth,"  said 
Buck. 

"  Then  if  you  were  perfect  in  it  all,  you  would  have 
about  two-fifty-one." 

"  Perfect  in  it  all !  "  Buck  smiled  at  the  absurdity. 
They  all  knew  there  was  no  hope  when  he  had  only  a  mar- 
gin of  one  hundredth  to  show. 

Dodgeson  went  around  to  Billy  Kendrick's  office  Fri- 
day night  to  report  the  list  of  those  deficient  in  the  De- 
partment of  Mathematics. 

"  Here's  the  list  for  arithmetic  complete.  For  algebra, 
the  list  lacks  the  name  of  your  '  Spoon.'  I  suppose  he 
made  about  one-eight." 


56  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Your  list  must  be  complete,"  said  Billy,  with  that 
matchless  smile  and  twinkle  of  the  eye,  "  for  Mr.  Buchanan 
Polk  Jones  made  two-fifty-one,  though  he  invaded  the 
realms  of  calculus,  analytical  geometry  and  trigonometry, 
to  do  it."  Billy  spoke  with  that  pride  and  joy  that  go  only 
with  a  personal  triumph. 

The  candidates  gathered  at  the  bulletin  boards  in  the 
Old  Recitation  Hall  the  next  morning,  eager  to  know  the 
worst.  The  lists  sent  pangs  of  disappointment  and  chagrin 
to  many  youthful  hearts.  Twenty-four  out  of  fifty-one  had 
failed. 

The  following  Saturday  was  more  tragic  still.  Four- 
teen out  of  the  twenty-four  failed  on  the  reexaminations, 
and  went  back  to  their  homes  crestfallen,  where  their 
mothers  received  them  with  outstretched  arms,  and  took 
away  the  edge  of  disappointment  by  repeating,  what  was 
really  true,  that  they  were  glad. 

The  most  surprised  of  all  the  candidates  was  Buck,  the 
happiest  was  Preble,  and  the  most  disappointed  was  Pike- 
man,  when  the  list  showed  that  Buck  had  passed.  Catell 
rushed  over  to  him. 

"  My  congratulations.  You  worked  the  sixth  question. 
There  wasn't  another  man  there  who  could  have  done  it; 
there  wasn't  another  who  dared  to  try  it.  It  is  a  greater 
victory  than  to  have  stood  first." 

As  it  turned  out,  with  all  the  examinations  included, 
Gust  stood  first,  Catell  second,  Pikeman  third,  while  Buck 
stood  only  eleven.  It  was  a  new  experience  for  Buck.  He 
had  always  stood  first  in  everything.  Preble  was  sur- 
prised that  Buck  didn't  seem  glad  at  passing  on  the  first 
examination.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  unusually  grave 
and  quiet.  Soon  he  guessed  the  source  of  his  unhap- 
piness. 

"  The  entrance  exams  don't  mean  anything.     I  stood 


BUCK  USES  HIS   KNOWLEDGE  57 

high  on  the  entrance  exams  last  year,  but  I  practically 
bilged  on  the  first  semi-ann." 

This  was  not  much  comfort  to  Buck,  nor  was  Catell's 
thoughtful  compliment.  There  could  be  no  comfort  for 
him.  He  was  constituted  for  leadership,  and  happiness 
was  impossible  so  long  as  he  was  not  first. 

At  the  dinner  table  the  exams  made  the  topic  of  con- 
versation. Slinginbury  was  very  downcast.  "  How  did 
you  come  out,  Slinginbury? "  asked  Pikeman,  who  knew 
very  well  he  had  failed. 

"  I  failed." 

"  What  on  ?  "  came  the  cruel  question. 

"  On  spelling." 

"  I  thought  you  had  all  of  Turkey  Tompkins's  rules  at 
your  finger  tips." 

"  I  thought  so,  too,  but  I  must  have  been  rattled  and 
applied  them  the  wrong  way.  I  remember  now  that  I 
applied  even  the  rule  of  pro,  ex,  and  sue  the  wrong  way." 

Everybody  else  at  the  table  was  touched  with  sympathy 
at  Slinginbury's  abject  humiliation;  but  a  cruel  smile 
played  on  Pikeman's  lips. 

The  candidates  who  had  passed  were  directed  to  report 
on  the  Santee  Monday  morning  with  their  effects.  All  day 
Sunday  they  were  busy  getting  their  things  together  and 
checking  them  up  according  to  the  list  required,  and  most 
of  them  had  everything  packed  and  ready  Sunday  night. 
Catell  had  his  things  ready  before  supper,  but  Buck  never 
touched  a  thing.  He  went  to  church  in  the  morning  and 
at  night,  and  read  theology  in  the  afternoon  till  four  o'clock, 
then  went  on  a  long  walk  with  Preble  across  the  Spa  Creek 
Bridge,  then  back  along  the  water  front.  He  loved  to  get 
where  he  could  look  out  over  the  water.  From  the  first 
he  found  in  the  water  a  companionship  which  men  failed 
to  supply. 
5 


58  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  You  had  better  hurry  up  with  your  packing,  Buck, 
if  you  wish  to  get  to  the  Santee  in  time  for  dinner 
formation." 

The  others  had  gone  some  time  before.  Buck  was  the 
last. 

"  Packing  is  a  great  nuisance,"  said  Buck. 

Mrs.  Jones  had  always  done  the  packing  for  Buck.  She 
had  packed  his  trunk  with  great  care  when  he  left  home 
and  the  trunk  seemed  to  hold  everything  easily ;  but  when 
Buck  now  crushed  in  all  that  he  could,  it  required  his  car- 
petbag bulged  out  to  hold  the  overflow.  Patrick  Henry 
took  charge  of  the  trunk  and  Buck  carried  the  bag  and 
joined  Preble,  who  was  waiting  for  him  below.  Buck  no- 
ticed that  Preble  cast  curious  looks  at  the  bag,  but  without 
saying  anything. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  hurry,  Buck,"  said  Preble,  with 
evident  anxiety. 

They  had  reached  the  grounds  and  were  just  turning 
out  into  the  walk  leading  toward  the  Old  Quarters,  when 
Preble  said: 

"  There  they  are." 

"Who,  Preble?" 

"  Don't  you  see  them  there,  coming  out  of  the  Old 
Eecitation  Hall  ? " 

There  they  were,  the  cadets,  swarming  out  of  the  hall 
and  forming  in  sections.  As  each  section  formed  it  started 
for  the  New  Quarters  independently  of  the  rest,  under  the 
command  of  its  own  leader,  who  marched  abreast  of  the 
section. 

"  I  feared  this,  Buck.  It  is  too  bad.  We  shall  have 
to  pass  them  all." 

"  Can't  we  turn  down  this  gravel  path  toward  the 
monument  and  avoid  them  ?  " 

"  Not  on  our  lives !     That  is  Lovers'  Lane.     A  plebe 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  59 

is  supposed  to  know  nothing  about  love.  We  can't  go 
there  till  we  are  third  classmen." 

"  They  have  strange  customs  up  here,"  thought 
Buck. 

He  saw  that  Preble  was  very  much  disturbed  as  the 
sections  drew  nearer. 

"  Don't  say  anything  at  all,  Buck,"  warned  Preble. 

Buck  began  to  feel  queer  in  spite  of  himself. 

"  The  section  coming  first  are  plebes,  my  classmates," 
whispered  Preble. 

Buck  saw  they  were  all  looking  at  him.  The  blood  rose 
to  his  cheeks.  They  were  laughing. 

"  Who's  your  friend,  Preble  ?  "  called  one. 

"  That's  Jo-Jo's  carpetbagger,"  said  another. 

"  What's  that  you  are  carrying,  mister  ?  " 

The  amusement  was  tremendous. 

"  Keep  your  heads  to  the  front,"  ordered  the  section 
leader,  as  some  were  actually  looking  back  over  their 
shoulders  at  the  strange  sight. 

The  next  section  was  also  of  plebes.  They  were  even 
worse  than  the  first  one.  They  saw  the  fun  farther  ahead 
and  were  better  loaded. 

"  Where  did  you  get  it,  mister  ?  " 

"  What  have  you  got  inside  ?  " 

"What  do  you  call  it?" 

"  Preble,  where  did  you  find  him  ?  " 

Buck's  blood  was  boiling.  Preble  seemed  worried  to 
death. 

"  Buck,"  he  whispered,  "  that  section  ahead  is  third 
classmen.  Jo-Jo  is  the  leader.  He  is  edging  over  this 
way,  and  there  is  Whaley  urging  him  on.  Let's  cross  over 
to  pass  on  the  other  side,"  and  Preble  crossed  over. 

"  I  am  going  to  stay  on  this  side  where  I  have  been," 
replied  Buck. 


60  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Then  you  had  better  step  out  on  the  grass.  Jo-Jo 
is  coming  straight  for  you." 

"  I  will  get  out  to  the  edge  of  the  walk,  but  no  farther," 
said  Buck,  between  his  teeth. 

Jo-Jo's  section  saw  the  move,  so  did  the  section  behind, 
made  up  of  second  classmen.  They  began  to  conjecture. 

"  I'll  bet  on  Jo-Jo." 

"  So  will  I." 

"  No  candidate  or  plebe  ever  stood  up  in  front  of 
Jo-Jo." 

"  I'll  bet  on  the  little  carpetbagger,"  said  Fonste,  and 
the  others  laughed,  but  they  stopped  laughing  suddenly  for 
they  saw  the  little  carpetbagger  plant  his  right  foot  on  the 
edge  of  the  walk,  put  down  his  bag  and  stand  rigid.  Jo-Jo 
was  out  on  the  edge  marching  straight  down  upon  him. 
They  saw  the  carpetbagger  spread  his  feet  to  brace  him- 
self; he  clenched  his  fists.  All  held  their  breath.  Jo- Jo 
advanced  his  shoulder  to  take  the  impact,  when  he  caught 
Buck's  eyes.  The  look  struck  through  his  soul.  It  was 
such  a  look  as  cowers  the  wild  beasts.  Conscious  that  all 
eyes  were  on  him,  that  his  hazer's  pride  and  reputation 
were  at  stake,  conscious  of  the  guying  he  would  receive 
and  driven  by  a  dislike  already  burning  deep,  conscious  of 
the  backing  of  Whaley  and  of  the  others,  and  that  he  was 
six  inches  taller  and  much  heavier,  he  yet  was  powerless 
to  control  his  actions.  He  was  conquered  by  an  indomi- 
table will.  He  suddenly  stepped  aside  and  passed  close. 

"  Good  for  the  carpetbagger !    It  took  nerve." 

"  Fonste,  you  win,"  said  the  second  classmen. 

Buck  picked  up  his  bag  and  started  ahead. 

"  I  dare  you  to  try  him,  Orman,"  said  one  of  the  sec- 
ond classmen  to  the  section  leader. 

"  Not  much.  I'm  going  to  give  him  half  the  walk ;  he 
has  fairly  won  it." 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  61 

When  Jo-Jo's  section  broke  ranks  in  front  of  the  New 
Quarters,  Whaley  came  up  and  said: 

"  Jo-Jo,  you  are  an  infernal  coward." 

"  You  don't  understand,  Whaley.  It  was  out  in  the 
open.  Officers  could  see  it.  It  could  be  seen  from  the 
officer-in-charge's  office,  and  you  know  they  are  laying  for 
us.  If  they  can  only  half  prove  a  case,  they  will  dismiss  us 
for  hazing." 

"  Then  why  did  you  challenge  ?  " 

"  I  thought,  of  course,  he  would  give  way.  They  have 
always  done  it.  Didn't  you  see  how  Preble  scooted  ?  " 

Jo-Jo's  mind  had  been  actively  at  work  upon  explana- 
tions ;  but  these  couldn't  save  him,  especially  from  the  sec- 
ond classmen. 

"  How  is  your  carpetbagger  ? "  they  would  ask  with  a 
smile. 

"  I  notice  that  Jo-Jo  has  suddenly  stopped  talking 
about  his  carpetbagger,"  remarked  Fonste  a  few  days  later. 

Jo-Jo  had  stopped  talking,  but  he  hadn't  stopped  think- 
ing and  hating. 

Buck  joined  Preble  when  the  sections  had  passed.  He 
stood  looking  at  the  Midshipmen's  Monument,  erected  to 
the  midshipmen  who  died  heroically  at  Vera  Cruz.  Preble 
pointed  out  the  Naval  Institute  Building. 

"  They  have  the  trophy  flags  in  there  that  we  captured, 
running  as  far  back  as  the  days  of  John  Paul  Jones,"  he 
said. 

"  John  Paul  took  the  name  of  Jones  from  one  of  my 
ancestors.  Can't  we  go  in  ?  "  asked  Buck. 

"  Not  now.  It  is  too  late.  We  barely  have  time  to  get 
to  the  Santee  for  dinner  formation.  This  building  is  the 
old  mess  hall.  We  shall  eat  here  in  September  when  the 
September  plebes  come  in  and  all  the  other  classes  are  away 
on  leave." 


62  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  What  is  this  ? "  inquired  Buck,  as  he  stopped  with  a 
look  half  of  mirth,  half  of  awe,  in  front  of  a  huge  figure 
of  an  Indian  chief. 

"  That  is  the  figure  head  of  the  old  frigate  Delaware. 
It  is  doubtless  meant  to  represent  the  great  chieftain  Dela- 
ware, for  whom  the  State  and  river  are  named.  Cadets 
have  come  to  call  this  the  God  of  Two-five." 

"  Do  you  remember  about  the  Delaware  ? " 

"  No ;  but  I  think  Tim  Casey  could  tell  you  about  her. 
She  was  still  in  commission  in  his  day." 

"  These  are  the  Old  Quarters  where  the  first  division  is 
quartered,  from  the  Old  Recitation  Hall  here  to  the  build- 
ing down  there  where  you  see  the  ship's  bell.  Beyond  there 
the  rest  of  Stribling  Row  is  bachelor  officers'  quarters." 

"  What  a  grand  baseball  and  football  field  from  here 
over  to  those  buildings.  What  are  they  ?  " 

"  They  are  marine  barracks.  After  you  have  been 
here  a  year  you  will  think  of  this  more  as  a  field  for  drill- 
ing. They  will  trot  your  legs  off,  in  double  quick  in  in- 
fantry, and  you  will  wish  you  were  dead  when  you  are 
on  the  end  of  the  drag  rope  with  the  howitzers,  in  artillery, 
going  across  at  a  dead  run." 

"  It  must  be  great  sport." 

"  You  will  think  it  is  sport  up  to  the  day  of  the  first  drill 
— no  longer.  That  lone  oak  has  come  down  with  the  ages. 
It  frequently  breaks  the  middle  of  the  line  in  drills,  and 
sometimes  it  receives  a  home-run  ball  in  center  field,  but 
everybody  loves  it.  It  is  all  bound  up  with  iron  bands  and 
tie  rods.  The  man  would  be  mobbed  who  dared  suggest 
cutting  it  down."  Preble  paused.  "  Hello,  Buck,"  he  sud- 
denly cried,  "  there  comes  the  Superintendent's  orderly 
bearing  down  on  us."  Sure  enough,  coming  across  the 
lawn  from  the  Superintendent's  house,  Buck  saw  the  same 
marine  he  had  seen  when  he  went  to  report. 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  63 

The  orderly  came  up  straight  to  Buck  and  saluted,  and 
Buck  lifted  his  hat. 

"  The  Superintendent's  compliments.  He  desires  to 
know  the  name  of  the  gentleman  carrying  the  bag." 

"  Buchanan  Polk  Jones." 

"  Buchanan  Polk  Jones,"  the  orderly  repeated  as  he 
saluted,  faced  about  and  was  off.  Buck  raised  his  hat 
again. 

"  Preble,  what's  up  ?  Is  it  against  regulations  to  carry 
a  bag  in  the  yard  ?  " 

"  No,  not  when  you  are  moving  in.  I  think  Rumsey 
caught  on  to  you  and  Jo-Jo.  He  was  probably  on  his  way 
to  lunch,  or  had  just  come  in.  You  see  his  house  is  straight 
down  the  walk.  He  must  have  seen  Jo-Jo's  move  and  your 
stand.  I  think  he  is  watching  Jo-Jo  and  Whaley  and  that 
gang,  anyhow.  By  the  way,  Buck,"  continued  Preble,  apol- 
ogetically, "  you  don't  have  to  raise  your  hat  to  an  orderly. 
He  is  only  a  marine.  You  know  they  are  enlisted  men, 
while  you  have  the  status  of  an  officer.  Of  course,  it  is 
all  right  to  return  his  salute,  or  the  salute  of  any  inferior 
in  rank." 

"  You  wouldn't  think  a  plebe  was  very  much  from  the 
way  the  other  classes  treat  him." 

"  No,  and  he  is  on  the  lowest  rung  in  the  whole  line  of 
officers,  and  at  times  he  is  liable  to  forget  this  fact.  That 
is  the  basis  for  the  very  strict  treatment  and  for  the  '  run- 
ning '  of  the  plebes  by  the  upper  classes  to  teach  them  sub- 
ordination. The  idea  even  runs  in  their  treatment  by 
officers  and  professors." 

"  Like  Billy  Fray,"  suggested  Buck. 

"  Exactly.  Of  course,  there  are  many  cadets  who  abuse 
this  and  go  to  extreme  lengths  in  hazing.  Some  are  even 
vicious  and  brutal.  Against  these  the  law  is  rigid.  Haz- 
ers,  if  detected,  are  court-martialed  and,  if  found  guilty, 


64  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

are  dismissed.  Bear  in  mind  that  within  reasonable  limits 
it  is  a  universal  custom,  and  intended  as  discipline  for 
subordination.  It  is  best  to  take  it  without  murmuring." 

"  I  won't  mind  their  running,"  said  Buck,  "  and  I  am 
prepared  to  do  anything  they  say,  but  I  don't  believe  I  can 
stand  Jo-Jo.  I  think  he  wants  to  bully  me.  He's  mean." 

"  You  are  right  about  Jo- Jo ;  but  I  advise  you  to  avoid 
him  all  you  can.  He  won't  get  a  chance  at  us  until  next 
winter  and  then  he  will  be  a  second  classman,  and  second 
classmen  with  their  growing  dignity  are  supposed  to  taper 
off  on  '  running '  plebes." 

"  What  is  that  round  stone  building  ahead  ?  " 

"  That's  the  l  gym.'  It  is  old  Fort  Severn,  just  as  it 
stood  in  the  past.  Upstairs  is  the  gymnasium  and  it  is 
used  for  the  hops,  except  the  June  ball,  which  is  held  in 
the  armory.  We  turn  here,"  and  they  swung  sharp  to  the 
left.  Suddenly  Buck  stopped. 

"  Oh,  what  a  curious-looking  thing !  What  is  that  ?  " 
he  cried. 

"  That  is  the  old  submarine,  captured  from  the  South- 
erners during  the  war." 

"  Are  you  sure  it  was  captured  ?  It  was  probably  sur- 
rendered at  the  end  of  the  war.  My  father  told  me  about 
those  submarines.  The  men  who  went  in  them  were  the 
bravest  men  that  ever  lived.  All  volunteers,  they  weren't 
the  least  afraid  to  die.  I  don't  think  anybody  could  cap- 
ture their  boat.  They  would  have  gone  down  with  it,  as 
they  did  many  times." 

"  I  don't  know  the  history  of  the  boat.  Maybe  Tim 
Casey  does.  But  I  know  it  belonged  to  the  Confederates. 
Nobody  else  has  ever  built  anything  like  them." 

"  Preble,  you  came  from  Maine  and  I  came  from  Ala- 
bama, but  we  are  all  right  about  the  war,  aren't  we  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed." 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  65 

Buck  longed  for  a  chance  to  show  the  world  how  Ala- 
bamians  feel  toward  the  flag. 

"  There's  where  you  must  go  this  afternoon  to  be  meas- 
ured for  your  uniform,  and  the  Paymaster's  office  is  up- 
stairs where  you  will  make  the  deposit  to  cover  the  part  of 
the  outfit  that  you  now  lack." 

"  Oh,  there  are  the  ships !  "  exclaimed  Buck  with  de- 
light as  he  looked  ahead. 

"  The  first  is  the  Dale,  the  next  is  the  Wyoming,  the 
low  one  out  in  the  river  is  the  monitor  Passaic,  and  the 
one  at  the  end  of  the  wharf,  roofed  over  like  a  barn,  is 
the  old  Santee,"  said  Preble. 

They  had  reached  the  boat  shed  at  the  head  of 
the  wharf.  Buck  was  just  formulating  questions  about 
the  history  of  the  ships  when  they  heard  the  bugle 
below. 

"  That's  dinner  formation  for  the  Santee 's  squad." 

Both  began  to  run.  Buck's  bag  was  a  serious  impedi- 
ment. After  trying  one  method  after  another,  he  finally 
put  it  on  his  shoulder  and  tore  down  the  wharf  behind 
Preble.  Everybody  saw  them  coming. 

Was  he  going  to  be  late  at  the  very  first  formation? 
With  the  thought  Buck  fairly  flew.  The  squad  was 
formed,  only  waiting  for  the  bugle  blast  to  face  to  the  left 
The  officer  of  the  day  was  at  the  far  end. 

Preble  ran  up,  saluted  and  reported  and  slipped  in  the 
ranks  just  as  the  officer  of  the  day  ordered,  "  Left,  face !  " 
The  squad  faced  as  Buck  tore  by  with  his  bag,  half  stum- 
bling as  he  took  it  down  from  his  shoulder. 

•  Buck's  face  was  flushed  with  the  running  and  the  ex- 
citement, as  he  shifted  the  bag  over  to  his  left  hand  and 
tried  to  salute  with  his  right  hand  as  he  had  seen  the 
orderly  do. 

"  You  are  late,  sir.    I  will  report  you.    Fall  in  on  the 


66  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

left."  Buck  started  down  in  front  of  the  squad,  bag  in 
hand. 

"  Come  back,  sir,  and  go  around  the  rear." 

Buck's  face  was  crimson  as  he  turned  and  for  the  third 
time  passed  along  in  front  with  his  bag.  He  passed  around 
the  rear  and  took  his  place  on  the  left,  the  bag  still  in  his 
left  hand. 

"  Mr.  Gust,  step  to  the  front.  Take  this  list  and  mus- 
ter the  squad." 

Gust  proceeded  to  muster.  Buck  was  painfully  aware 
of  the  fact  that  he  couldn't  possibly  march  with  his  bag 
in  his  hand.  What  was  he  to  do  ? 

Gust  completed  the  muster  and  reported.  A  silence 
followed.  Buck  knew  that  the  officer  of  the  day  was  look- 
ing at  him.  The  cold  sweat  stood  out  on  his  brow. 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  began  the  officer  of  the  day  slowly,  with 
tones  of  authority  that  struck  terror  to  Buck's  very  soul, 
"  how  do  you  expect  to  march  with  that  object  in  your 
hand?" 

Another  silence  followed,  heavy  in  its  oppressiveness. 
Buck  felt  the  weight  as  of  a  leaden  load  on  his  shoulder. 

"  Take  two  steps  to  the  rear,  sir,  and  drop  it — step  to 
the  front  again." 

Buck  stepped  back  in  position. 

"  Master-at-anns !  "  called  out  the  officer  of  the  day 
toward  the  Santee. 

"  Sir  ?  "  came  the  answer.  The  master-at-arms  had  been 
watching  the  painful  performance,  biting  his  lips  to  keep 
from  laughing. 

"  Take  this  object  on  the  wharf  and  put  it  in  the  lucky 
," 

»* 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  answered  the  master-at-arms. 

"Squad,  left,  face!" 

Buck  had  never  seen  a  military  drill  in  his  life,  but 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  67 

he  managed  to  face  with  the  rest.  This  left  him  at  the 
head  of  the  column.  What  next,  he  wondered. 

"  Forward,  march  !  " 

Buck  stepped  out,  but  with  the  wrong  foot.  The  man 
behind  stumbled  on  his  heels.  This  caused  confusion  for 
some  distance  along  the  column. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  keep  step  there."  Left,  left,  left!  They 
drew  near  to  the  turn  in  the  wharf.  Buck  wondered  how 
they  would  change.  "  Column,  left !  "  Buck  turned. 
"  March  !  Mr.  Jones,  wait  till  the  order  '  March ! '  Left, 
left,  left !  "  They  reached  the  turn  in  front  of  the  gym- 
nasium. "  Column,  right,  march !  "  "I  got  it  that  time," 
thought  Buck  with  satisfaction.  "  Left,  left,  left !  " 

"  Mr.  Gust,  give  the  squad  the  step  all  the  way,"  and 
Gust  began :  "  Left,  left,  left !  "  As  they  reached  the  Mid- 
shipmen's Monument,  "  Column,  left,  march !  "  Buck 
was  actually  proud  of  his  performance  this  time,  and  was 
eager  for  the  next  trial  at  the  band  stand.  "  Column, 
right,  march !  Left,  left,  left !  " 

They  approached  Main  Street  that  prolongs  Maryland 
Avenue.  Buck  began  to  feel  queer.  There  were  cadets, 
a  big  crowd  of  them,  sitting  on  the  cannon-backed  seats 
directly  ahead,  watching  the  squad.  There  was  always  a 
peculiar  interest  in  the  first  appearance  of  the  new  plebes, 
dressed  in  their  varying  civilian  suits  and  hats,  reflecting 
the  styles  all  over  the  land,  from  the  ranch  in  Texas  to 
Fifth  Avenue  in  New  York. 

"  Left,  left,  left !  "  Straight  into  the  jaws  of  the  upper 
classmen  they  went.  Buck  recognized  Jo-Jo  in  the  crowd, 
and  heard  him  pass  the  word,  "  The  carpetbagger  is  at  the 
head  of  the  column." 

Down  the  steps,  across  the  street.  "  Column,  left, 
march !  "  Buck  turned  as  though  he  were  a  veteran. 
"  Column,  right,  march !  "  They  swung  between  the 


68  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

seats  of  cadets  square  down  the  walk.  "  Fins  out !  Fins 
out !  Fins  out !  Fins  out,  there,  mister !  "  came  from  the 
upper  classmen. 

"Squad,  halt!" 

The  bugle  blew.    The  upper  classmen  passed. 

"  Where  is  the  carpetbagger  ?  " 

"  Is  this  the  carpetbagger  ?  " 

"  Show  me  the  gaily  carpetbagger." 

What  a  relief  to  Buck  when  they  were  all  by,  and  the 
bugle  sounded. 

"  Squad,  left,  face ! 

"  Mr.  Gust,  take  charge  of  the  squad,  and  when  the 
battalion  executes  ( Fours  right/  go  '  Right  face,'  and 
march  to  the  mess  hall,  taking  the  first  table  on  the  right." 

With  these  instructions  the  officer  of  the  day  left. 

The  battalion  was  "  dressed  "  to  the  right.  The  first 
sergeants  marched  to  the  front  and  center  and  reported. 
The  adjutant  read  the  orders. 

"  Battalion,  fours  right,  march !  " 

Buck  recognized  Tyler,  the  four-striper.  How  grand  to 
stand  out  there  and  command  the  battalion ! 

"  Must  I  be  four-striper  myself  our  first  class  year? " 

Buck  considered  the  matter  carefully.  He  noticed  that 
Tyler  sat  at  the  oflficer-in-charge's  table.  He  must  have  a 
good  chance  to  ask  about  things  at  large. 

He  looked  at  Tyler  more  closely  at  supper  formation. 
By  the  time  he  went  to  sleep  that  night  he  had  made  up 
his  mind  to  be  four-striper.  Doubtless  other  plebes  made 
the  same  resolve  that  first  day ;  but  a  resolve  to  them  was 
not  like  a  resolve  to  Buck. 

When  all  had  entered  the  mess  hall  and  the  new  plebes 
had  been  placed,  with  Gust  at  one  end  of  their  table  and 
Catell  at  the  other,  Tyler  gave  the  order,  "-Seats !  "  Such 
a  roar  and  rattle  of  chairs  Buck  had  never  heard.  Most  of 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  69 

the  new  plebes  kept  their  eyes  on  their  plates  during  the 
meal ;  but  Buck  was  very  much  interested  in  the  trophies 
about  the  walls — trophies  of  victorious  baseball  nines,  boat 
crews,  football  teams.  Preble,  who  sat  opposite,  seemed 
uneasy. 

"  Buck,  they  will  think  you  are  gaily  looking  around 
like  that." 

But  Buck  couldn't  see  any  objection.  Soon  he  became 
aware  that  many  upper  classmen  were  looking  at  him, 
and  across  the  room  was  Jo-Jo  with  his  scowl.  It  became 
clear  that  those  who  recognized  him  were  pointing  him  out 
to  the  others.  He  even  detected  the  officer-in-charge  as  he 
asked  the  officer  of  the  day  from  the  old  quarters,  the  one 
who  had  the  duty  of  marching  the  Santee  squad,  to  point 
him  out.  The  officer  of  the  day  told  how  the  carpetbagger 
had  come  to  formation,  and  they  had  a  good  laugh. 

"  I  like  him,"  said  Tyler. 

Buck  couldn't  understand  it  all,  and  he  felt  very  un- 
comfortable. The  truth  is,  the  incident  of  Jo-Jo  and  the 
plebe  carpetbagger  had  gone  all  over  the  academy,  the 
Superintendent  himself  having  started  it  among  the 
officers. 

Buck  was  still  eating  when  Tyler,  upon  the  nod  from 
the  officer-in-charge,  struck  a  bell  and  ordered,  "  Rise, 
march  out !  "  The  new  plebes  were  the  last  to  leave,  and 
as  they  passed  out  the  upper  classmen  were  lingering  in  the 
corridor,  in  the  hall,  on  the  steps,  and  were  even  out  on 
the  walk  where  the  plebes  formed.  No  circus  parade  could 
have  been  looked  at  more  eagerly  than  the  new  plebes  at 
their  first  meal. 

As  the  plebes  passed  out  of  the  mess-hall  door,  the  con- 
gestion gave  upper  classmen  a  good  chance. 

"  Mister,  are  you  going  to  try  to  go  through  on  your 
muck  ?  "  asked  one  of  them  as  he  edged  up  close  to  Buck. 


70  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  don't  know  what  that  is." 

"  Put  on  '  sir  '  when  you  speak  to  a  superior  in  rank." 

"  He  must  be  a  very  important  cadet,  probably  next 
to  Tyler,  though  he  looks  very  small  and  young,"  thought 
Buck. 

It  was  little  Stratford,  still  a  plebe,  and  the  smallest 
and  youngest  plebe,  as  Buck  learned  later,  who  had  that 
proud  and  important  air. 

"  Look  the  other  way,  you  gaily  plebe !  " 

"  Take  your  greasy  eyes  off  me !  " 

"  Fins  out  there,  fins  out !  " 

Such  were  the  remarks  hurled  at  the  trembling  plebes 
as  they  passed  through  the  upper  classmen.  All  came  in 
for  a  share,  but  Buck  was  evidently  the  "  favorite." 

Jo-Jo  and  Whaley  and  some  other  third  classmen  were 
standing  on  the  stoop  by  the  old  gun  at  the  entrance. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  anything  so  gaily  as  he  was  at  din- 
ner ?  "  Buck  heard  Jo-Jo  say  to  Whaley.  He  couldn't  hear 
Whaley's  reply. 

It  was  all  new  to  Buck.  On  the  march  down  to  the 
Santee  he  was  pondering  over  the  situation.  It  was  a  good 
deal  like  an  affront,  he  thought.  He  was  still  undecided 
whether  he  would  submit  or  not  when  they  reached  the 
Santee  s  wharf  and  broke  ranks.  Buck  joined  Preble  at 
once.  He  needed  some  light. 

"  Preble,  what  does  '  Fins  out '  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means  to  place  your  little  fingers  at  the  seams  of 
your  trousers,  with  the  palms  forward.  The  position  helps 
to  give  a  military  bearing." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right.  What  is  it  '  to  go  through  on 
your  muck  '  ?  " 

"  That's  to  fight  your  way  through.  Several  have  tried 
it,  but  only  one  man  has  gone  through  on  his  muck  since 
the  academy  began,  and  they  say  he  was  mean  and  was 


BUCK  USES  HIS  KNOWLEDGE  71 

later  dismissed  from  the  service.  Did  anyone  ask  you 
that?" 

"  Yes,  several  did." 

"  What  did  you  answer  ?  " 

"  I  told  them  I  didn't  know  what  they  meant." 

"  Buck,  you  are  getting  into  a  bad  position — not  that 
you  mean  anything.  I  advise  you  to  be  more  careful.  It 
is  part  of  the  regime  to  be  humble  and  subordinate  to  the 
last  degree  during  the  plebe  year.  It  has  always  been  that 
way.  I  advise  you  to  be  careful  to  put  on  '  sir/  and  to  do 
anything  and  everything  they  tell  you,  and  do  it  in  a 
good-natured,  willing,  obedient  spirit.  It  won't  do  you 
any  harm  and  it  will  be  much  easier  for  you.  Everybody 
does  that  way." 

"  Did  Tyler  clo  that  way,  and  did  the  officers  we  see 
do  that  way  when  they  were  cadets  ?  " 

"  Of  course  they  did." 

Buck  couldn't  reason  it  all  out,  but  he  concluded  Preble 
was  right. 

"  Preble,  do  you  know  what  a  '  lucky  bag '  is  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  so,  as  many  times  I  have  had  things 
get  in  the  lucky  bag." 

Preble  said  this  considerately.  He  knew  that  Buck  was 
thinking  about  his  bag.  But  Buck  was  most  concerned  as 
to  the  offense  he  might  have  committed. 

"  Aboard  ship,  when  anything  private  is  left  about  the 
decks,  instead  of  being  stored  away  in  the  proper  place, 
it  is  put  in  the  lucky  bag  and  confiscated." 

He  saw  Buck's  eyes  open  wider. 

"  This  is  to  teach  the  necessity  for  order,  and  has  been 
found  the  best  way  to  cure  carelessness,  which  can't  be 
tolerated  aboard  ship,  where  everything  is  so  crowded  any- 
how. In  the  case  of  cadets,  instead  of  confiscating  the  ob- 
ject, they  return  it  and  give  demerits." 


72  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  How  many,  Preble  ?  " 

"  Three  for  each  offense." 

"  How  many  for  being  late  at  a  formation  ?  " 

"  Three  also." 

"  Six  demerits,"  meditated  Buck.  "  This  is  a  strange 
place." 

Buck  had  never  had  six  demerits  in  his  whole  life 
before. 

"  I  will  have  to  explain  it  at  home,"  he  thought,  as  he 
and  Preble  went  over  the  gangway  of  the  Santee  with  the 
rest  of  the  squad. 

Before  breaking  ranks  the  officer  of  the  day  directed 
that  those  who  had  not  been  to  the  tailor  shop  and  the  Pay- 
master's office  should  go  without  delay  and  should  procure 
hammock  mattresses,  and  all  the  articles  of  outfit  specified 
in  the  catalogue;  that  the  hammock  numbers  and  locker 
numbers  would  be  found  on  the  bulletin  board  posted  on 
the  gun  deck. 


CHAPTER    VII 

BUCK    FINDS    HIS    BERTH    ON    THE  SAXTEM 

IT  was  a  busy  afternoon  for  the  new  plebes.  Buck 
hadn't  more  than  time  to  glance  over  the  spar  deck 
and  then  the  gun  deck  with  their  broadsides  of  big 
muzzle-loading  guns,  and  feel  the  thrill  that  the  guns  in- 
spired. He  hastened  down  on  the  berth  deck  and  was  soon 
employed  in  unpacking  his  trunk  and  getting  his  things 
into  his  locker.  He  had  to  stoop  considerably  to  clear  the 
deck  beams  overhead.  Faint  cylinders  of  light  came 
through  the  air  ports  and  were  aided  by  three  fixed  oil 
lamps,  one  forward  against  the  washroom  bulkhead,  one 
against  the  mainmast,  and  one  aft  against  the  brig  bulk- 
head. Each  plebe  had  a  portable  candle  in  addition. 

There  were  thirty-seven  of  them  in  all,  but  as  Buck 
looked  over  the  deck,  with  the  trunks  and  valises  strewn 
about,  it  seemed  that  there  were  a  hundred,  nearly  all  of 
them  new  faces,  though  here  and  there  he  saw  one  of  Mrs. 
Connell's  boarders. 

Buck's  locker  was  number  seventeen,  up  near  the  wash- 
room. Preble's  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  deck.  Pike- 
man's  was  down  near  the  brig.  Catell's  was  only  a  few 
lockers  away.  Harry  Billerson's  was  the  next  locker  for- 
ward. 

"  My  name  is  Jones.     What  is  your  name  ?  "  Buck 
promptly  asked  the  one  next  to  him  aft. 
6  73 


74  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Henderson." 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Henderson.  Introduce 
me  to  the  gentleman  beyond  you  ?  " 

It  wasn't  long  before  Buck  had  met  nearly  all  those  in 
his  vicinity,  and  they  knew  at  once  that  he  was  from  the 
South. 

"  What  State  are  you  from,  Mr.  Henderson  ?  " 

"  From  Kentucky." 

"  That  must  be  a  fine  State.  The  best  horse  we  have  at 
home  is  from  Kentucky." 

"  What  State  are  you  from,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  I'm  from  Alabama.  Mr.  Thompson,  what  is  your 
State?" 

"  Tennessee." 

"  That's  a  fine  State,  next  to  Alabama.  Some  of  my 
people  came  from  there.  Of  course,  I  make  no  reflection 
on  Kentucky,"  he  nodded  to  Henderson. 

These  three  were  to  become  good  friends. 

By  three  o'clock  all  trunks  and  valises  were  off  the  deck 
on  the  way  to  the  storage  room.  Buck's  trunk  was  among 
the  last.  Preble  and  Catell  were  helping  him  toward  the 
end.  They  saw  he  was  in  trouble,  and  warning  word  had 
been  passed  by  the  master-at-arms.  Buck  was  becoming 
desperate  and  began  jamming  his  things  into  the  small 
locker.  He  had  been  accustomed  to  having  a  wardrobe  full 
of  drawers  and  a  closet,  and  his  mother  had  always  super- 
intended the  servants  to  keep  his  things  in  order. 

"  That  will  never  do,  Buck."  Catell  had  come  to  call 
him  Buck.  "  The  lockers  will  be  inspected  to-morrow 
morning,  Preble  says,"  and  he  began  helping  Buck  get 
some  order  out  of  the  confusion. 

Buck  had  been  looking  at  a  marine  at  the  other  end 
of  the  deck  standing  on  guard.  When  Preble  came  up 
he  asked  what  he  was  doing. 


BUCK  FINDS  HIS   BERTH   ON   THE  SANTEE         75 

"  He  is  keeping  watch  over  some  third  classmen  who 
are  in  solitary  confinement." 

"  What  are  they  in  confinement  for  ?  " 

"  For  frenching.  They  are  in  Jo-Jo's  gang.  The 
whole  gang  came  near  being  caught,  but  the  others  got 
away  from  the  watchman,  who  came  up  as  they  were  climb- 
ing back  over  the  wall  behind  the  Sick  Quarters." 

"  How  many  are  there  confined  ?  " 

"  Two." 

"  For  how  long  ?  " 

"  One  of  them  for  seven  days,  the  other  till  further 
orders,  which  means  that  his  case  is  still  under  considera- 
tion. He  may  be  dismisp^d." 

"  Why,  was  he  worse  than  the  others  ?  " 

"  They  found  a  flask  of  whisky  under  his  blouse,  and 
it  is  rumored  that  he  made  a  false  statement  about  it." 

"  It  looks  like  a  prison  back  there,"  continued  Buck. 

"  It  is  a  prison  in  effect.  They  have  enlarged  and 
fitted  up  the  old  brig  of  the  ship  and  use  it  to  confine 
cadets." 

"What  is  the  brig?" 

"  It's  the  prison  cell,  where  the  men  are  confined." 

This  made  Buck  very  thoughtful.  He  had  never  con- 
sidered this  phase.  The  inside,  practical  part  of  naval  life 
was  coming  upon  him  fast,  with  the  inevitable  effect  of 
disenchantment.  But  the  mood  could  not  last  in  the  face 
of  Buck's  idealism  and  innate  optimism. 

"  I  suppose  they  have  to  have  punishments,  but  it's  a 
glorious  thing,  after  all,  to  have  a  chance  to  devote  your 
whole  life  to  the  service  of  the  flag.  And  even  if  they  have 
had  to  put  some  men  in  the  brig,  the  navy  has  made  a  won- 
derful record." 

These  meditations  didn't  help  Buck's  unpacking,  and 
it  required  the  aid  of  Catell  and  Preble  to  get  him  through 


76  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

in  time.  Then  the  three  went  off  together  to  the  tailor  and 
storekeeper.  Preble  didn't  have  to  get  any  new  things 
for  himself,  hut  he  wanted  to  he  with  Buck ;  not  only  he- 
cause  he  liked  Buck,  hut  also  because  he  wanted  to  give 
him  points.  While  Buck  was  in  with  the  Paymaster, 
Preble  began  talking  about  him. 

"  I'll  never  forget  the  way  he  squared  himself  and 
faced  Jo-Jo,  if  I  live  to  be  a  hundred.  At  the  same  time 
I  never  saw  a  chap  so  green  about  practical  little  things. 
He  is  bound  to  get  lots  of  demerits." 

The  Paymaster  at  this  moment  was  adjusting  with 
Buck  the  amount  to  be  allowed  for  his  traveling  expenses. 
When  asked  how  much  they  were,  Buck  figured  a  little. 

"  Thirty-one  dollars  and  sixty-five  cents,"  he  said. 

"  What  are  the  items  ?  " 

"  Ticket  to  Selma ;  ticket  to  Atlanta ;  ticket  to  Wash- 
ington; ticket  to  Annapolis;  total,  thirty-one  dollars  and 
sixty-five  cents." 

"  What  did  you  spend  on  the  sleeper  ?  " 

"  Nothing ;  I  didn't  know  there  was  a  sleeper." 

"  What  on  your  meals  ?  " 

"  Nothing ;  I  brought  my  meals  with  me." 

"  How  long  was  the  trip  ?  " 

"  Three  days  and  a  half." 

"  How  were  you  able  to  carry  enough  for  three  days 
and  a  half?" 

The  Paymaster  genuinely  enjoyed  talking  to  the  frank, 
naive  little  man. 

"  Oh,"  said  Buck,  with  pride,  "  I  had  some  left  over 
when  I  reached  Mrs.  Connell's.  The  carpetbag  my  mother 
made  will  hold  a  lot.  On  a  camp  hunt  I  have  carried 
enough  to  last  nearly  a  week." 

The  Paymaster  smiled.  He  had  heard  of  that  carpet- 
bag alreadv. 

w  «/ 


BUCK  FINDS  HIS  BERTH  ON  THE  SANTEE         77 

* 

"  But  the  meals  must  have  cost  something  and  the  Gov- 
ernment provides  for  same.  What  do  you  think  would 
cover  the  amount  ?  Do  you  think  that  an  average  of  fifty 
cents  a  meal  would  cover  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  it  could  have  been  as  much  as  that, 
sir.  We  raised  the  chickens  and  the  eggs,  and  the  pickles 
were  homemade  and  the  ham  came  from  the  plantation, 
and  I  think  they  hardly  missed  the  other  things  at  all." 

"  The  Paymaster  is  a  fine  man,"  said  Buck  as  he  came 
out,  which  was  his  way  of  saying  he  liked  a  man. 

"  Yes,  indeed  he  is,"  replied  Preble.  "  Everybody 
likes  Paymaster  Sambis.  Of  course,  he  has  to  keep  strict 
accounts,  but  he  always  likes  to  accommodate  you.  It 
does  him  a  lot  of  good  for  a  cadet  to  have  plenty  of  money 
on  the  books  when  he  comes  to  go  on  leave." 

"  Let's  go  around  the  gymnasium  on  our  way  back," 
Buck  suggested,  and  the  three  friends  circled  the  old  fort. 
Buck  stopped  when  all  the  old  cannon  came  in  view 
mounted  in  a  surrounding  semicircle. 

"  Where  did  these  come  from  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Preble.  "  From  some  of  our 
old  ships,  I  think." 

And  Buck's  imagination  began  immediately  picturing 
deadly  battles  where  the  guns  had  won  glorious  victories 
for  the  flag. 

"  What  gun  is  that,  mounted  out  over  the  sea  wall  ? " 

"  That's  the  gun  they  fire." 

"  We  shall  get  the  full  benefit  on  the  Santee"  thought 
Buck.  He  gazed  from  the  Santee  out  over  the  bay. 
"  Preble,  what  is  that  tall  thing  out  on  the  point  ? " 

"  That's  Greenbury  Point  Lighthouse,  and  the  object 
on  legs  farther  out  to  the  right  is  the  Spider  Lighthouse, 
on  the  shoals  off  the  entrance  of  the  bay.  Lord,  how  many 
questions  you  can  ask !  " 


78  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

But  Buck  was  fascinated.  They  had  to  threaten  him 
with  being  late  for  supper  formation  to  get  him  away. 
As  they  passed  the  Dale,  Preble  said : 

"  Buck,  you  see  that  tall,  gaunt-looking  old  salt  on 
the  forecastle  there  ?  That's  Tim  Casey." 

Buck  gazed  at  him  closely  and  began  to  imagine  the 
wonderful  things  that  Tim  had  seen  in  his  day. 

"  Preble,  what  do  they  call  that  flat  ?  "  asked  Buck, 
as  he  pointed  up  the  mast  when  they  passed  the  Wyoming. 

"  That's  the  maintop." 

"  Is  there  anybody  on  board  the  Wyoming  ?  " 

"  No,  they  take  care  of  her  from  the  Santee.  The 
Saturday-morning  cruises  are  over.  They  won't  use  her 
again  till  the  seamanship  drill  for  the  Board  of  Visitors 
in  graduation  week." 

Buck  was  in  ample  time  for  supper  formation  and  fell 
in  at  his  regular  place — according  to  height — the  highest 
on  the  right.  He  began  to  take  note  of  things  and  noticed 
that  he  came  a  little  above  the  middle.  Rix,  a  robust  six- 
footer  from  Michigan,  was  at  the  head,  in  the  front  rank, 
with  Ninman,  a  slim  New  Jerseyite,  behind  him.  Then 
came  Parsons  from  South  Carolina,  and  Dillon  from  Cali- 
fornia. Buck  listened  attentively  to  all  the  names  as  Gust 
called  them  off.  Some  were  strange  names  to  Buck,  of 
Swedish,  Polish,  German,  and  other  foreign  origin.  Buck 
was  interested  to  know  what  kind  of  men  they  were  that 
had  the  curious  names,  so  he  spent  some  time  after  the 
return  from  supper  going  about  among  them,  as  they 
wrote  letters  on  the  tables  on  the  gun  deck  or  arranged 
their  lockers,  getting  acquainted. 

"  They  are  just  like  everybody  else,"  he  concluded. 

When  everything  was  still  he  slipped  off  and  went  out 
on  the  wharf  and  sat  down  on  a  spar  to  look  out  over  the 
water  by  night.  The  wind  was  still;  the  lighthouse 


BUCK  FINDS  HIS  BERTH  ON  THE  SANTEE          79 

gleamed  afar,  the  light  sending  out  intermittent  shafts; 
the  lamps  along  the  sea  walls  made  paths  of  light  across 
the  shifting  water ;  the  stars  sparkled  in  their  reflections ; 
the  water  licked  the  piles. 

"  It  is  so  still  and  yet  so  restless,"  murmured  Buck, 
and  a  feeling  of  mystery  and  loneliness  came  over  him. 
After  a  while  he  went  back  on  board  and  looked  up  Preble. 

"  What  time  is  it,  Preble  3  "  he  asked. 

"  Nearly  three  bells.  Let's  go  up  and  see  the  gun 
fire." 

They  went  up.  Ding,  ding — ding!  A  flash  and  a 
crash !  Buck  jumped,  but  regained  his  control  instantly, 
flushing  with  enthusiasm. 

Preble  was  accustomed  to  the  gun  fire  and  was  not 
very  romantic  or  enthusiastic. 

"  It's  all  right  as  long  as  it  fires  a  blank  charge,"  he 
said,  noticing  Buck's  interest. 

Buck  was  a  little  ashamed  of  the  way  he  had  jumped. 
Every  night  he  went  up  until  the  flash  and  crash  failed 
to  cause  a  muscle  to  twitch. 

Pikeman,  like  a  politician,  had  begun  to  lay  the  wires 
to  be  elected  class  president.  He  had  noticed  with  uneasi- 
ness how  the  others  began  to  like  Buck  as  soon  as  they 
met  him,  and  he  viewed  with  suspicion  Buck's  action  as 
he  spoke  heartily  to  everyone.  As  the  time  approached 
now  for  taps,  Buck  looked  about  the  deck  to  see  if  the 
others  were  going  to  say  their  prayers.  He  thought  every- 
one said  his  prayers  before  going  to  bed.  He  always  said 
his  and  had  always  done  so  since  before  he  could  remem- 
ber. The  time  was  getting  short.  No  one  made  a  move, 
but,  getting  ready  to  turn  in,  the  others  continued  laugh- 
ing and  joking.  Some  had  begun  to  climb  into  their 
hammocks. 

"  Shall  I  say  my  prayers  in  my  hammock  ?     That  is 


80  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

what  the  rest  are  probably  going  to  do,"  said  Buck  to 
himself. 

The  time  limit  was  up. 

He  had  always  knelt  down  to  say  his  prayers.  It 
went  against  his  grain  not  to  do  so  now,  yet  he  hesitated. 
Then  with  sharp  self-scorn  he  suddenly  knelt  down,  with 
his  elbows  on  his  camp  stool  on  the  open  deck,  and  said  his 
prayers. 

Pikeman  turned  to  Ninman  and  Kix  and  the  rest  of 
the  group  around  him,  and  pointed  over  to  Buck. 

"  Did  you  know  we  had  a  parson  on  board  ? "  he  said, 
with  a  sneer. 

At  the  morning  gun  fire  Buck  was  out  of  his  hammock 
with  a  bound. 

"  It's  great,  sleeping  in  a  hammock,"  he  said  to  Preble 
as  they  met  in  the  washroom  and  lined  up  to  take  turns 
at  the  limited  number  of  basins.  "  I  didn't  turn  over 
once." 

It  was  a  beautiful  spring  morning.  The  bay  was  a 
field  of  leaping  diamonds.  The  sparkling  lawn  seemed  to 
speak  to  the  trees  and  the  green  leaves  answered  back. 
As  the  squad  marched  through  the  beautiful  grounds 
Buck's  heart  sang  the  same  hymn  that  came  from  the 
heart  of  all  nature,  that  it  was  glorious  to  be  part  of  cre- 
ation. The  spell  remained  on  him  even  into  the  breakfast 
formation.  Suddenly  he  came  down  to  the  earth  with  a 
thud.  The  adjutant  was  reading  his  own  name  on  the 
conduct  report. 

"  Jones,  B.  P.,  late  at  dinner  formation." 

There  was  no  mistake.    The  words  rang  in  Buck's  ears. 

"  Same,  carpetbag  in  the  lucky  bag." 

An  audible  titter  passed  over  the  battalion. 

"  Put  Mr.  Kerr  on  the  report  for  smiling  in  ranks," 


BUCK  FINDS  HIS  BERTH  ON  THE  SANTEE         81 

said  the  officer-in-charge,  as  lie  came  slowly  along  the 
opened  ranks  in  his  inspection. 

Buck  began  to  feel  nervous  as  his  turn  drew  near. 
The  officer  stopped  in  front  of  him,  and  looked  him  over 
from  head  to  foot. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  Jones,  sir." 

Buck  felt  guilty. 

"  Put  Mr.  Jones  on  the  report  for  clothes  not  brushed." 

The  officer  of  the  day  wrote  down  the  memorandum. 

As  they  marched  into  the  mess  hall,  Buck  was  medi- 
tating, "  Nature  is  very  beautiful,  but  naval  life  is  a  stern 
reality." 

When  Tyler  struck  the  bell  the  battalion  rose,  but 
no  order  to  "  March  out !  "  followed.  Chaplain  Dawson 
entered  from  the  door  on  the  left,  raised  his  hands  and  all 
heads  were  bowed.  Buck  felt  a  peculiar  inspiration  as  the 
clear,  impressive,  manly  voice  of  the  Chaplain  offered  up 
thanks  and  besought  God's  blessings  upon  our  great  coun- 
try and  upon  the  institution  given  to  its  service. 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  I  am  an  American,"  pondered 
Buck,  and  the  spell  was  not  broken  even  when  Whaley 
came  close  and  demanded: 

"  Mister,  did  I  see  you  drinking  milk  ? " 

"'Yes,  sir." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  it  ?    Knock  it  off." 

When  they  broke  ranks  at  the  Santee,  Buck  asked 
Preble  what  Whaley  meant. 

"  Oh,  plebes  are  not  allowed  to  drink  milk,  except  on 
the  cruise." 

In  a  half  hour  the  squad  marched  to  the  armory,  Gust 
in  charge  for  "  Setting  up  "  exercises  and  marching  drill. 
Corbezier,  the  old  sword  master,  was  in  charge,  giving  his 
orders  with  a  sharp,  foreign  accent  and  rolling  his  "  R's." 


82  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  took  a  great  fancy  to  Corbezier  and  asked  Preble  all 
about  him.  Preble  said  there  was  much  mystery  con- 
nected with  his  past,  the  tradition  being  that  he  had  once 
been  in  the  French  army,  was  a  famous  duelist,  and  on 
account  of  a  duel  in  which  he  killed  his  opponent  had  been 
compelled  to  flee  the  country. 

"  Such  a  fencer !  "  went  on  Preble.  "  There  has  never 
been  his  like  in  America.  He  is  getting  along  in  years, 
but  is  as  limber  and  quick  as  a  cat.  Most  of  the  routine 
teaching  of  fencing  falls  on  the  assistant  sword  masters, 
Keintz  and  Betz,  but  Corbezier  soon  takes  the  best  ones 
himself." 

"  I  am  going  to  get  with  Corbezier,"  resolved  Buck. 
"  When  do  we  begin  to  take  fencing  ?  " 

"  Not  till  next  year." 

Buck  was  greatly  disappointed. 

From  the  armory  the  squad  went  to  the  natatorium  to 
learn  swimming.  About  half  could  swim  and  about  a 
third  could  swim  well  enough  not  to  return.  Buck  was 
the  first  that  Storm,  the  master  of  physical  training,  told 
he  need  not  come  again. 

"  You  have  a  good  stroke,  Mr.  Jones  and  your  breath- 
ing is  all  right." 

"  May  I  come  back,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  Whenever  you  wish.  I  will  give  you  a 
few  points  that  will  help  you  in  a  sea  way." 

Buck  went  every  day. 

At  dinner  formation  Buck  was  startled  when  the  adju- 
tant, after  reading  the  detail  for  the  next  day,  ordered : 

"  Jones,  B.  P.,  will  report  to  the  Commandant  immedi- 
ately after  dinner." 

Buck's  messmates  were  all  excited  and  Buck  was  in 
great  anxiety  himself  during  the  meal;  but  they  won- 
dered how  undisturbed  he  seemed. 


BUCK  FINDS  HIS  BERTH   ON  THE  SANTEE         83 

"  Report  to  the  officer-in-charge  first,"  whispered 
Preble  as  they  came  out. 

"  The  Commandant  will  see  you  at  once,"  said  the 
officer-in-charge  when  Buck  reported. 

Buck  crossed  the  entrance  and  entered  the  Comman- 
dant's office.  Commander  Carrington  sat  behind  a  large, 
heavy  table  with  the  conduct  report  spread  out  before  him. 
"  Spuds  "  Carrington  was  one  of  the  most  feared  Com- 
mandants that  ever  held  the  office. 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  he  began,  in  measured,  suggesting  tones, 
more  like  a  question  than  a  statement,  "  I  notice  that  you 
have  sent  in  no  excuse  or  explanation  for  being  late  at 
dinner  formation  yesterday.  What  was  the  matter? 
Were  you  delayed  on  the  way? " 

"  Not  for  any  length  of  time." 

"  How  did  your  bag  get  adrift  ?  " 

"  The  officer  of  the  day  ordered  me  to  drop  it  on  the 
wharf." 

"  That  will  do,  sir." 

Buck  left.  When  the  conduct  report  was  posted  Buck 
found :  "  For  being  late,  no  excuse.  Demerits,  3.  For  bag 
in  lucky  bag,  excuse  accepted." 

"  Preble,"  said  Buck,  "  the  Commandant  is  just.  It 
was  my  fault  for  being  late,  but  it  was  not  my  fault  about 
the  lucky  bag." 

"  '  Spuds '  is  a  terror  for  discipline,  but  I  think  you 
will  find  that  he  is  always  just,"  answered  Preble. 

When  Buck  had  told  about  the  interview  Preble  ob- 
served : 

"  He  was  after  Jo-Jo  when  he  asked  if  you  had  been 
delayed." 

In  the  afternoon  the  squad  had  "  boats  under  oars  " 
and  "  gymnasium."  Buck  was  delighted  with  both. 


CHAPTER    VIII 

BUCK    MAKES    A    NEW    FRIEND    AND    ENCOUNTERS    AN    OLD 

ENEMY 

ON  board  the  Santee,  about  half  an  hour  before  sup- 
per formation,  the  plebes  dropped  in  sheer  ex- 
haustion, some  on  camp  stools,  some  on  the  deck. 
Buck  slipped  off  without  being  noticed  and  went  aboard 
the  Wyoming.     He  had  made  up  his  mind  to  climb  up  to 
the  maintop.    He  reached  the  rigging  and  began  to  climb. 
It  was  a  new  experience.      It  was   like  climbing   rope 
ladders. 

He  held  tightly  to  the  shrouds  and  took  each  step  care- 
fully. He  reached  the  futtocks  under  the  top  and  care- 
fully passed  between  them.  Finally  he  reached  the  lub- 
ber's hole,  drew  himself  up  through  on  his  elbows,  then 
stood  up  and  looked  out  at  the  ship  below,  at  the  other 
ships,  at  the  academy  grounds,  at  the  river,  at  the  bay. 
In  his  enthusiasm,  and  almost  ecstasy  of  delight,  he 
couldn't  help  saying  out  loud : 

"  This  is  great !  " 

"  Yes,   sir,"  replied   a  voice  from  behind  the  mast. 

Buck  stood  petrified.  Was  it  a  spirit  ?  The  weird 
sensation  was  quickly  dispelled.  A  gaunt-looking  sailor, 
with  deep-set  eyes  and  gray  hair  and  mustache,  looked 
around  the  mast  from  his  seat  on  the  maintop  chest.  Each 
wondered  what  the  other  was  doing  up  there.  Buck  went 
around  the  mast. 

84 


BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  85 

"  You  are  Tim  Casey,  the  boatswain's  mate  ?  " 

"  That's  my  name." 

"  I  am  Buck  Jones,  one  of  the  new  plebes." 

Tim  was  surprised  that  Buck  should  know  him,  but 
pleasure  was  evident  on  his  weather-beaten  face.  Buck's 
outspoken  frankness  went  straight  to  the  old  salt's  heart. 

"  My  friend,  Preble,  has  told  me  about  you.  I  hope 
you  are  going  on  the  cruise  with  us." 

"  Indeed  I  am.  The  crew  on  the  Dale  are  going  to  be 
transferred  to  the  Constellation  to-morrow.  The  Constel- 
lation ought  to  be  here  now  from  Norfolk." 

"  Did  you  come  up  here  to  sight  her  ? " 

Tim's  face  beamed  at  the  naive  question. 

"  Not  exactly,  though  she's  a  fine  old  ship ;  one  of  the 
few  left  now." 

Buck  saw  that  he  loved  the  old  ships  and  the  old  days. 

"  I  came  over  here  to  see  what  I  could  pick  up  for  my 
starboard  watch.  Here's  a  marline  spike  or  two,  some 
ratlin  stuff,  a  few  thimbles  and  a  ball  of  rope  yarn.  This 
jigger  will  come  in  handy.  Some  day  when  all  hands  are 
called  to  reef  topsails  and  the  weather  sheet  won't  go 
down,  the  first  lieutenant  will  call  out,  '  Clap  on  a  jigger ! ' 
and  before  the  captain  of  the  maintop  comes  with  his 
gear,  I'll  have  this  jigger  on  and  be  piping  away." 

Buck  was  delighted. 

"  But  I  haven't  found  much.  In  these  new  days  of 
regulations  and  checking  up  everything,  foraging  don't 
do  you  much  good.  Even  a  quartermaster  can't  find  any- 
thing of  account." 

Buck  guessed,  as  he  learned  later,  that  the  boatswain's 
mate  and  quartermaster,  and  even  captain  of  the  tops, 
used  to  go  around  the  navy  yards  picking  up  things  for 
their  parts  of  the  ship.  Some  were  noted  for  their  apti- 
tude in  this  line.  Many  a  time  in  an  emergency  the  execu- 


86  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

tive  officer  would  see  things  appear  that  he  didn't  know 
were  on  board. 

Buck  thought  it  was  time  for  him  to  say  something. 

"  This  is  a  fine  ship,  the  Wyoming." 

"  Nothing  but  an  old  tub,  sir." 

Buck  was  shocked  by  this  sweeping  condemnation. 

"  But  it  has  steam  and  sails  both." 

"  A  mongrel.  Nothing  good  ever  came  out  of  a 
mongrel." 

"  Didn't  Farragut  use  them  ?  "  Buck  was  sure  he  had 
won  the  argument  by  citing  this  authority. 

"  Yes,  sir,  Farragut  used  them  because  the  other  fel- 
lows used  them  and  because  he  had  to  go  up  rivers.  But 
he  never  liked  them.  One  day  on  the  Hartford  he  came 
up  from  the  engine  and  boiler  rooms,  when  the  brasses  had 
gotten  hot  and  the  boiler  tubes  were  leaking,  and  I  said 
to  him :  '  Capt'n  ' — you  know  I  never  called  him  '  Ad- 
miral,' not  I,  when  I  had  called  him  i  Capt'n  '  ever  since  I 
sailed  with  him  when  he  was  a  lieutenant — says  I, '  Capt'n, 
how  do  you  like  steam  ? '  and  he  turned  to  me  and  says, 
says  he :  '  Tim,  those  infernal  engines  worry  me  to  death. 
I  don't  mind  the  enemy,  but  what  can  a  man  do  when  his 
boiler  tubes  are  leaking  ? '  I  felt  sorry  for  him,  and  I 
hated  the  engine  and  I  hate  one  still.  They  are  the  in- 
vention of  the  devil  to  spoil  the  life  on  the  high  seas.  And 
these  men  they  enlist  for  coal  heavers,  and  oilers  and  what 
not;  they  are  blasted  land  lubbers — the  last  mother's  son 
of  them." 

Supreme  scorn  stood  out  in  every  feature  of  the  old 
sailor's  face. 

"  I  am  afraid,  sir,"  he  continued  with  great  earnest- 
ness, as  he  shook  his  head,  "  I  am  afraid  the  service  is 
going  to  the  dogs." 

There  was  something  pathetic  in  the  way  Tim  clung 


BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  87 

to  the  past.  Buck  saw  there  was  no  use  to  argue  the  ques- 
tion. Besides,  he  knew  it  was  time  to  wash  up  and  brush 
his  clothes  for  supper  formation. 

"I  am  glad  to  know  you,  Tim,  and  I  hope  I  shall  be 
in  your  watch  on  the  cruise,"  said  Buck  as  he  started 
down. 

He  was  passing  through  the  lubber's  hole  when  Tim 
said: 

"  There  she  comes !  " 

"What?" 

"  The  Constellation." 

Buck  jumped  up  again  and  looked  the  way  Tim 
pointed.  Far  out,  beyond  the  point  at  Bay  Ridge,  over 
the  tree  tops,  Buck  could  just  make  out  the  upper  part 
of  the  masts,  the  rest  of  the  ship  being  hidden. 

"  You  think  it  is  the  Constellation  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  she  is  under  tow.  They  will  heave  in  sight 
soon."  Then  he  added :  "  I  think  I  ought  to  recognize 
that  ship.  She  and  I  have  been  friends  for  over  fifty 
years." 

When  Buck  was  gone,  old  Casey  said,  half  aloud,  "  A 
sprightly  lad,  for  these  times.  He  looks  a  little  like  Far- 
ragut  did  when  I  first  saw  him,  and  he's  outspoken  the 
same  way."  He  pondered  a  moment,  calling  up  the  im- 
ages of  the  past.  "  I  have  it  now.  He  makes  me  think 
of  young  Dewey  in  the  steerage.  Farragut  liked  him.  He 
was  afraid  of  nothing." 

As  Buck  passed  the  gun  deck  and  forward  on  the  berth 
deck  to  the  washroom,  he  called  out: 

"  Fellows,  the  Constellation  is  coming  in." 

They  ran  over  and  looked  out  of  the  ports. 

"  You  are  fooling  us." 

When  they  were  forming,  still  nothing  was  visible. 

Pikeman  remarked: 


88  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  That's  one  of  Jones's  schemes  to  make  himself  con- 
spicuous." 

When  they  got  back  from  supper,  the  Constellation 
was  halfway  up  the  channel  in  tow  of  the  Standish  and 
the  Phlox,  the  academy  tug  and  side-wheeler,  and  the  new 
plebes  remained  out  on  the  wharf  as  the  ship  with  her  lofty 
masts  came  in  and  was  made  fast  to  the  buoy  in  the 
middle  of  the  stream  below  the  old  monitor  Passaic. 

"  We  shall  probably  go  on  board  about  the  end  of 
next  week,  or  early  in  the  following  week,"  remarked 
Preble  to  the  group  that  gathered  around  him,  "  and  im- 
mediately after  the  first  class  graduates,  the  new  first 
class  and  third  class  will  come  on  board  and  then  we 
will  sail." 

Day  after  day  as  the  plebes  came  back  from  the  drills 
and  exercises  that  seemed  to  get  harder  and  harder,  they 
longed  for  the  time  when  they  would  embark. 

Thursday  evening  after  supper  on  his  way  to  his  room 
when  the  bugle  was  sounding  for  study  hour,  Whaley 
passed  by  Jo-Jo's  room. 

"  I  saw  our  friend  the  carpetbagger  a  little  while 
ago.  He  was  meek  as  a  lamb.  Not  a  bit  gaily." 

"  Where  did  you  see  him  ?  "  asked  Jo-Jo. 

"  Behind  the  gas  house.  He  says  he  likes  to  sit  there 
alone  and  look  out  over  the  bay.  He  is  inclined  to  be  ro- 
mantic. This  grind  here  will  take  the  romance  out  of  him 
in  a  little  while." 

"  /  will  take  it  out  of  him,"  muttered  Jo- Jo  to  himself. 

Late  the  next  afternoon,  before  supper  formation, 
Buck  was  enjoying  the  harbor  and  bay  under  the  setting 
sun  from  his  favorite  position  behind  the  old  gas  house, 
where  he  was  practically  free  from  intrusion.  He  was 
absorbed  in  the  aimless  flight  of  some  sea  gulls  when  his 


BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  89 

thoughts  were  rudely  broken  into.    He  saw  a  cadet  coming 
along  the  sea  wall. 

"  It  is  Jo-Jo,"  he  murmured.  "  He  is  coming  up  the 
road  this  way.  Whaley  must  have  put  him  on." 

"  Stand  up  there,  mister !  "  said  Jo-Jo  savagely. 

Buck  stood  up,  though  he  felt  his  chest  begin  to  heave. 

"  I'll  do  as  Preble  advised,  if  I  can,"  he  resolved. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  Jones." 

"  Jones  what  ?  " 

"  Jones,  sir." 

"  Let  me  hear  you  spell  it." 

"  J-o- 

"Stop!    Jwhat?" 

"  J,  sir,  o,  sir,  n,  sir,  e,  sir,  s,  sir ;  Jones,  sir." 

"  Where  are  you  from  ?  "    , 

"  Alabama,  sir." 

"  Was  your  father  a  rebel  ?  " 

"  He  fought  in  the  Civil  War." 

"  Put  on  '  sir  '  when  you  answer  me." 

Jo-Jo  saw  the  blood  mount  to  Buck's  face,  and  he 
knew  he  had  struck  the  right  trail. 

"  /  say  he  was  a  rebel,  with  Lee  and  Jackson  and  all 
the  rest  of  them.  They  fought  against  their  country. 
They  were  not  only  rebels,  but  they  were  infernal 
traitors." 

Buck  never  knew  before  that  moment  what  destroying 
passions  lie  dormant  in  the  human  breast. 

"  You're  a  liar,"  he  cried,  rushing  at  him,  but  was 
stopped  by  a  staggering  blow  between  the  eyes.  Buck 
saw  stars,  but  he  charged  again.  Another  blow  on  the 
cheek.  Jo-Jo  felt  he  had  it  all  his  own  way.  The  green- 
horn didn't  even  know  how  to  take  his  guard. 

"  I'll  pound  him  to  jelly,"  he  said  to  himself. 
7 


90  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  advanced  again,  and  again  received  a  crushing 
blow  in  the  left  eye;  then  he  paused  as  he  saw  the  scien- 
tific boxer  all  prepared  for  the  next  charge.  He  had  be- 
gun to  get  his  "  head  "  again.  Jo-Jo  then  advanced  cau- 
tiously and  struck  Buck  again,  this  time  in  the  right  eye. 
Buck's  awkward  effort  to  parry  amounted  to  nothing. 
The  blow  almost  knocked  him  down,  and  when  his  blink- 
ing eyes  could  see  again,  Jo-Jo  was  advancing  to  deliver 
another  blow. 

"  I'll  stretch,  him  out  this  time,"  resolved  Jo-Jo,  as  he 
struck  out  with  all  his  might. 

"  I  must  get  close  to  him,"  Buck  concluded,  and  he 
lowered  his  head.  Jo-Jo's  blow  struck  the  top  of  his 
forehead  and  glanced,  and  Buck  passed  under  his  guard. 
As  Jo-Jo  drew  back,  Buck  struck  him  a  powerful  blow 
under  the  chin.  Jo-Jo  staggered.  Buck  followed  it  up 
with  another  blow  in  the  mouth,  and  then  grappled  with 
his  old  Indian  hug,  giving  him  the  "  hip  heiss." 

Jo-Jo  came  down  with  a  thud,  Buck  on  top.  Buck 
flattened  out  to  hold  him  down.  Jo-Jo  struggled,  to  no 
avail.  Buck  was  in  his  own  province  here.  Jo-Jo  struck 
him  on  the  back  of  the  head. 

"  If  you  strike  me  that  way  again,  I'll  mash  your  face 
in,"  and  Buck  put  his  fist  in  his  face.  Jo-Jo's  lips  were 
bleeding.  "  I  ought  to  do  it,  anyhow."  But  he  restrained 
the  impulse.  Jo-Jo,  finding  he  could  do  nothing,  began 
to  quiet  down.  Finally  he  said : 

"  This  is  a  strange  way  to  fight." 

Buck  saw  that  one  of  Jo- Jo's  lower  teeth  was  gone. 

"  Your  way  was  a  strange  way  to  me." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  hold  you  here  till  you  give  up  and 
take  back  your  insult  in  calling  my  father  and  General 
Lee  traitors." 


'Buck  struck  him  a  powerful  blow  under  the  chin." 


BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  91 

Buck's  blood  began  to  boil  again  at  the  thought.  After 
a  pause  Jo- Jo  began : 

"  It  is  nearly  time  for  supper  formation." 

"  I  don't  care." 

Jo-Jo  began  to  have  a  fear  lest  some  one  should  come 
up  and  find  them.  The  fear  began  to  haunt  him.  He 
saw  two  cadets  walking  up  the  sea  wall  from  the  marine 
barracks. 

"  How  about  the  future  ?  "  It  was  evident  that  Jo-Jo 
was  making  overtures  for  capitulation. 

"  I  am  going  to  take  nothing  else  from  you.  You  will 
have  to  give  up  for  good."  Buck  would  have  nothing  but 
unconditional  surrender. 

A  heavy  silence  followed. 

"  I'll  give  up,"  said  Jo-Jo. 

"  Do  you  take  it  all  back  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

They  got  up.  A  new  dread  seized  Jo-Jo.  Buck  might 
report  him.  He  knew  the  authorities  were  only  waiting 
for  such  a  thing  to  dismiss  him. 

"  Will  you  shake  hands  ?  "  he  asked. 

Buck  said,  "  Yes."    They  shook  hands. 

"  It  is  all  over  now  ?  "  asked  Jo-Jo. 

"  Yes." 

Jo-Jo  turned  and  went  around  the  gymnasium.  Buck 
went  by  the  gas  house. 

Jo-Jo  went  back  of  the  Old  Quarters,  then  down  by  the 
steam  building  and  physical  laboratory  and  entered  the 
New  Quarters  by  the  rear  door.  He  hurried  up  to  his 
room.  On  the  stairs  Whaley  called  out : 

"  What's  the  matter,  Jo-Jo  ?  " 

"  I  fell  down  coming  up  the  steps."  Jo- Jo  felt  that 
his  lips  were  beginning  to  swell,  and  stopped  long  enough 
to  get  some  ice  from  the  cooler. 


92  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  wonder  if  the  tooth  shows  ?  "  He  hurried  to  his 
room  and  to  the  looking-glass.  "  It  looks  bad.  When  I 
talk  it  shows.  I  wonder  what  became  of  that  tooth.  I 
must  have  swallowed  it.  Confound  that  little  carpetbag- 
ger !  I'll  get  even  with  him  yet." 

He  noticed  that  a  sort  of  whisking  sound  came  from 
the  vacant  place  when  he  talked.  He  crushed  some  ice 
and  kept  it  on  his  lips.  "  It's  no  use,"  he  said,  as  the 
bugle  blew  for  supper  formation. 

When  Buck  reached  the  Santee  he  went  forward  on 
the  spar  deck  to  avoid  the  others,  then  down  the  forward 
hatch  to  the  washroom  and  plunged  his  head  in  a  basin 
of  water. 

"  What  are  you  doing,  Buck  ? "  asked  Preble,  as  he 
came  in  to  wash  up. 

"  Cooling  my  head  off." 

When  the  bugle  blew  Buck  wiped,  and  went  to  brush 
his  hair. 

"  What  a  fright !  "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  saw  himself 
in  the  glass.  A  lump  had  begun  to  grow  on  his  forehead ; 
dark-blue  bands  of  puffed  flesh  were  forming  around  both 
eyes;  a  large  black  bruise  was  on  the  cheek. 

"  Buck,  my  dear  fellow,  you  had  better  go  to  the  hos- 
pital," suggested  Preble  with  much  anxiety. 

"  Much  obliged  to  you,  Preble ;  it's  all  right." 

At  supper  everybody  looked  at  Buck,  then  at  Jo-Jo. 
By  study  hour  everybody  had  guessed  that  the  first  fight 
with  the  new  plebes  had  been  fought.  Indignation  against 
Jo-Jo  was  running  high.  Whaley,  his  chum,  came  up 
and  said: 

"  Jo-Jo,  you're  a  bully  and  a  coward  to  fight  that  little 
fellow.  I  am  not  going  to  have  anything  more  to  do 
with  you." 

"  Upon  my  word,  Whaley,  he  struck  me  first.     I  was 


BUCK  MAKES  A   NEW  FRIEND  93 

only  running  him.  He  came  at  me  without  any  warning. 
That's  how  he  hit  me  in  the  mouth.  I  only  kept  him  off 
in  self-defense,  until  he  found  he  could  do  nothing;  then 
he  stopped  and  ran  away." 

"  Jo-Jo,  you  know  you  are  lying,"  Whaley  said,  and 
turned  on  his  heel.  He  didn't  speak  to  Jo-Jo  till  after 
breakfast  next  day,  when,  as  the  plebes  were  coming  out, 
Whaley  edged  up  close  to  Buck,  who  could  hardly  see 
through  the  swelling  about  his  eyes. 

"  Did  you  strike  him  first  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

Then  Whaley  began  to  speak  to  Jo-Jo  again,  though  he 
kept  a  lurking  contempt  for  him. 

At  dinner  formation  the  adjutant  read  an  order  for 
Jones,  B.  P.,  to  report  to  the  Commandant  immediately 
after  dinner.  The  battalion  knew  what  that  meant. 

"  Jo- Jo  is  a  goner." 

"  The  little  chap  ought  to  have  reported  it,  anyhow." 

"  I'd  like  to  hear  everything  he  tells  the  Commandant." 

"  Jo-Jo  has  always  tormented  the  little  fellow." 

"  He  never  has  picked  trouble  with  anybody  his  own 
size." 

"  A  good  riddance  it  will  be." 

Such  were  the  remarks  during  the  meal. 

When  Buck  saluted  before  the  Commandant's  table, 
Captain  Carrington  began : 

"  Mr.  Jones,  it  is  clear  that  you  and  Mr.  Kerr  have 
had  a  fight.  Please  report  what  led  up  to  it" 

"  With  your  permission  I'd  rather  not,  sir." 

"  You  realize  that  it  was  the  part  of  a  bully.  Mr.  Kerr 
has  a  bad  influence.  Your  testimony  with  the  visible  facts 
will  suffice.  You  will  be  rendering  a  service  to  the  corps." 

"  I  struck  him  first,  sir.  I'd  rather  not  make  any 
further  statement."  Buck  was  respectful,  but  firm.  Car- 


94  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

rington  respected  the  way  Buck  felt,  and  again  gave  up 
the  hope  of  catching  Kerr. 

When  Buck  left  the  office  the  hall  and  steps  were 
lined  with  cadets.  Jo-Jo  stood  opposite,  looking  pale  and 
anxious.  He  raised  his  eyebrows  as  Buck  came  out. 
Buck  shook  his  head. 

"  It's  all  right,"  said  Jo-Jo,  with  a  relieved  look  as  he 
went  to  his  room. 

On  Sunday  Preble  suggested  that  Buck  get  on  the  ex- 
cused list  so  that  he  would  not  have  to  go  to  church  look- 
ing as  he  did ;  but  Buck  decided  to  go. 

When  he  entered  the  chapel  he  was  deeply  impressed 
by  the  tablets  and  memorial  windows.  It  seemed  to  him 
that  the  spirits  were  gathered  there  of  those  who  had  nobly 
given  their  lives  for  others;  some  in  shipwreck,  some  in 
accidents,  some  in  battle,  some  in  the  ice  of  the  Arctic, 
some  in  the  fevers  of  the  tropics.  He  had  never  been  so 
impressed  by  any  church  service.  The  climax  came  while 
the  cadet  choir  sang  with  wonderful  expression  the  hymn 

Hear  us  when  we  call  to  Thee, 
For  those  in  peril  on  the  sea. 

The  Chaplain  invited  the  members  of  the  new  class  to 
remain  after  church  service  and  join  his  Bible  class;  also 
issued  an  invitation  to  them  to  join  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at 
the  afternoon  meeting. 

Buck  hesitated.  "  I  look  like  a  scarecrow ! "  he 
thought.  But  he  stayed. 

All  the  next  week  the  drills  and  exercises  continued, 
getting  worse  and  worse  all  the  time,  as  the  new  plebes 
thought.  Buck  continued  going  with  the  swimming 
squad  and  imbibed  some  good  points  from  Storm.  He 


BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  95 

began  to  develop  a  good  stroke  at  the  boat  drills,  and 
"  Chaw  "  Bartell  made  him  stroke  oar  of  his  cutter. 

Saturday  came  and  there  was  no  move  for  embarking. 

"  It  can't  be  much  longer,"  said  Preble  to  those  who 
complained  of  the  severity  of  the  exercises.  "  Next  week 
is  graduation  week,  and  we  must  get  on  board  before  Sat- 
urday, when  the  first  and  third  classes  embark." 

Monday  and  Tuesday  they  continued,  conscious  that 
the  other  classes  were  rejoicing  in  the  closing  week.  Fi- 
nally, Wednesday  morning  the  order  was  read  out  for  the 
Santee  squad  to  prepare  their  effects  and  be  ready  to  em- 
bark on  the  Constellation  at  2.30.  They  shifted  into 
working  clothes  and,  with  clothesbags  and  pillowcases, 
emptied  their  lockers,  and  at  2.30  sharp  were  embarked  in 
steam  launches  and  transferred.  They  found  their  locker 
numbers  and  hammock  hooks,  and  by  eight  bells,  four 
o'clock,  were  all  located  on  the  Constellation.  They  had 
consecutive  numbers  for  their  lockers  forward  on  the  berth 
deck,  odd  numbers  on  the  starboard  side  and  even  num- 
bers on  the  port  side ;  but  the  hammock  hooks  were  located 
according  to  the  part  of  the  ship. 

The  watch  quarter  and  station  bill  was  already  posted 
on  the  bulletin  board  aft  on  the  gun  deck,  and  all  crowded 
around  to  learn  their  assignments  and  duties.  Buck 
found  that  he  was  in  the  starboard  watch,  maintop  num- 
ber 371,  stationed  on  the  main  royal  yard;  that  he  was 
number  17,  the  "  powder  monkey  "  at  gun  number  10. 
He  began  copying  down  his  duties,  when  he  decided  he'd 
find  Tim  Casey  to  let  him  know  that  he  was  in  the  star- 
board watch. 

A  sailor  told  him  that  he  would  probably  find  Tim  up 
on  the  forecastle  with  his  pigeons  at  that  time.  Buck 
went  forward  on  the  gun  deck,  looking  closely  at  every- 
thing as  he  passed,  and  was  just  going  up  the  forehatch 


96  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

when  he  heard  a  terrible  outburst  on  the  forecastle — oath 
after  oath,  he  had  never  heard  anything  like  it.  He  rec- 
ognized Casey's  voice.  A  landsman  rushed  by.  Casey 
was  after  him. 

"  You son  of  a  sea  cook!  I'll  jump 

down  your  throat  and  tear  your  heart  out!  " 

Buck  never  dreamed  a  human  being  could  get  in  such 
a  rage.  He  drew  back  down  to  the  gun  deck.  It  was  a 
hard  shock.  He  had  begun  to  idealize  Tim  Casey,  and  to 
himself  began  to  make  explanations :  "  Perhaps  Tim  was 
terribly  provoked.  After  all,  men  are  much  the  same.  He 
is  probably  no  worse  than  I  was  when  Jo-Jo  called  my 
father  and  General  Lee  traitors."  But  he  couldn't  get  ade- 
quate excuses  for  such  language.  "  Maybe  it  all  depends 
on  a  man's  training."  He  walked  up  and  down,  not  wish- 
ing to  go  on  the  forecastle  at  once.  He  asked  a  sailor  com- 
ing down  the  hatch  what  was  the  matter. 

"  Oh,  one  of  the  new  men  who  didn't  know  any  better 
kicked  Tim  Casey's  pigeons." 

"  What  would  Tim  have  done  to  him  if  he  had  caught 
him?" 

"  He  would  probably  have  shaken  the  life  out  of  him 
and  chucked  him  overboard." 

After  a  while,  when  everything  had  been  quiet  for 
several  minutes,  Buck  went  up  on  the  forecastle  and  found 
Tim  sitting  on  his  "  ditty  "  box  leaning  over  stroking  two 
pigeons  he  held  close  with  his  left  arm.  No  father,  or 
even  mother,  ever  fondled  an  offspring  with  more  tender- 
ness. Tim  had  never  had  a  wife  or  any  children  upon 
whom  to  bestow  affection,  and  it  was  for  these  two  pigeons 
to  call  out  that  elemental  instinct  of  tenderness  that  prob- 
ably lies  the  deepest  in  all  living  nature,  which  sixty 
years  of  hard,  wandering  experience  had  not  dimmed  in 
this  rough  man  of  the  sea. 


BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  97 

"  How  do  you  do,  Casey  ?  " 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  I  have  come  to  tell  you  that  I  am  in  your  watch ;  the 
starboard  watch;  starboard  maintop,  it  is." 

"  I  am  glad." 

"  I  am  glad,  too."  Buck  stooped  down  and  stroked 
the  pigeons  gently.  This  went  to  Tim's  heart.  Tim  had 
always  liked  Buck.  Now,  and  henceforward,  he  would 
have  given  his  life  for  him. 

"  Boatswain's  mate !  "  called  the  officer  of  the  deck  from 
the  quarter-deck. 

"  Sir  ?  "  answered  Casey. 

"  Pipe  mess  gear !  " 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  and  Casey  put  the  pigeons  carefully 
back  in  their  little  coop  and  closed  the  door,  and  then 
went  up  and  down  the  deck  piping  mess  gear.  The  boat- 
swain's mate  on  the  gun  deck  took  it  up.  Buck  liked  the 
piping  of  the  boatswain's  mate  on  the  Santee,  but  he 
thought  it  couldn't  compare  with  Casey's.  Indeed,  there 
was  never  a  boatswain's  mate  who  could  equal  Tim  Casey. 
His  piping  had  the  "  atmosphere,"  the  "  spirit "  of  the 
briny  deep.  Under  the  spell  of  the  piping  Buck  recovered 
from  his  shock  of  a  few  minutes  before  and  went  down 
again  on  the  gun,  and  as  he  passed  aft  he  was  astonished 
at  the  quick  transformation.  The  mess  cooks  were  getting 
down  their  tables  and  benches  from  between  the  beams 
overhead,  hooking  one  end  at  the  side  between  the  guns 
and  hinging  down  the  metal  legs  at  the  inboard  end.  Some 
were  already  bringing  the  pots  of  potatoes,  buckets  of 
coffee,  loaves  of  bread  from  the  galley. 

"  It  is  wonderful,"  murmured  Buck.  "  A  few  minutes 
ago  this  was  the  gun  deck  of  a  fighting  machine ;  now  it 
is  a  big  mess  hall." 

He  found  the  same  preparations  going  on  on  the  berth 


98  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

deck,  but  here  two  long  tables  stretched  fore  and  aft,  one 
on  each  side,  with  camp  stools  for  the  cadets,  and  mess-hall 
boys  served  instead  of  enlisted  men. 

"  Bugler,  sound  the  supper  call !  "  he  heard  the  officer 
of  the  deck  order,  and  all  hands  went  to  supper.  Buck  re- 
mained at  supper  only  a  very  short  time.  He  was  eager  to 
see  everything  that  went  on  on  the  gun  deck  and  spar  deck. 

When  he  went  up  he  found  the  smoking  lamp  lighted 
and  the  jackies  sitting  around  smoking  their  pipes  and 
telling  yarns. 

"  Messenger,  tell  the  boatswain's  mate  to  '  turn  to  '  and 
pipe  '  sweepers,'  "  directed  the  officer  of  the  deck,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  there  was  no  sign  of  mess  gear  of  any  kind. 

"  Preble,  it  is  wonderful  to  me  how  they  manage 
everything,"  remarked  Buck,  as  the  two  sat  on  the  main 
topsail  halyard  rack  talking  over  the  events  of  the  day. 
"  First  I  saw  the  guns  only,  then  the  gun  deck  seemed  like 
a  mess  hall,  and  then  it  turned  back  to  guns  again." 

"  After  sunset  you  will  see  it  turn  into  a  big  bed- 
room," added  Preble. 

"  It  is  all  systematized,"  added  Preble,  "  and  there  is 
a  routine  for  each  day,  and  every  man  on  board  has  his 
particular  part  to  play.  You  noticed  in  the  watch  quar- 
ter station  bill  how  the  duties  are  specified.  So  many  of 
the  crew  are  in  the  forecastle,  so  many  in  the  foretop, 
so  many  in  the  maintop,  so  many  in  the  mizzentop,  and 
so  many  in  the  afterguard.  Each  man  has  a  certain  part 
in  getting  up  anchor,  in  making  sail,  in  furling  sail,  in 
reefing  topsails,  in  working  ship,  at  abandon  ship,  at  gun 
quarters  and  target  practice,  at  boat  drill  and  at  every- 
thing else,  and  if  each  man  does  his  part  well  the  whole 
thing  will  go  like  clockwork." 

"  I  am  going  to  copy  down  all  of  my  duties  and  learn 
them  at  once,  and  do  my  part,"  resolved  Buck. 


BUCK  MAKES  A   NEW  FRIEND  99 

"  Hello,  let's  go  forward,  Buck;  I  see  the  men  are 
going  in  swimming." 

They  went  forward  and  climbed  a  few  ratlins  lip  the 
port  fore  rigging  to  have  a  good  vantage  ground.  The  port 
topping  lift  was  let  out  till  the  end  of  the  boom  touched 
the  water,  and  the  sailors  in  swimming  trunks  were  walk- 
ing down  and  diving  off.  Some  would  dive  from  the  bul- 
warks ;  some  were  swimming  back  and  forth  to  the  boom ; 
others  were  striking  far  out  into  the  stream. 

"  Watch  this  man  going  out  on  the  flying  jib  boom. 
That's  John  Anderson,  captain  of  the  maintop;  the  best 
swimmer  on  the  ship  except  Tim  Casey." 

The  jib  boom  must  have  been  forty  feet  from  the 
water.  Buck  had  seen  what  he  thought  was  high  diving 
in  Alabama,  but  nothing  like  this.  He  was  uneasy  as 
Anderson  went  off,  but  drew  a  breath  of  relief  when  his 
outstretched  arms  made  the  entry  for  his  head  as  he  struck 
and  scooted  under  the  water,  rose  and  shook  the  water  from 
his  hair,  and  struck  out  overhand  for  a  two-hundred-yard 
jaunt  and  back. 

"  Look  at  that  stroke !  "  cried  Buck  in  admiration,  as 
Anderson  came  back  with  the  speed  of  a  steam  launch. 

"  He  swims  like  a  dolphin,"  admitted  Preble,  "  but 
he  can't  touch  Casey.  Casey  usually  goes  off  the  fore- 
yard." 

Buck  looked  up  with  wild-eyed  amazement  at  the  fore- 
yard  far  above. 

"  See  that  man  out  there  making  the  long  side  stroke  ? 
That's  Ol  Olsen,  the  Swede.  Casey  says  Olsen  could  buck 
a  seaway  longer  than  any  of  them." 

Anderson  went  out  on  .the  jib  boom  for  another  dive. 

"  I  wish  the  fellows  in  Sumter  could  see  this,"  said 
Buck  to  himself.  "  Preble,  won't  they  let  us  go  in  ?  Let's 
ask  the  officer  of  the  deck." 


100  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  It  is  too  late.  To-morrow  they  will  probably  lower 
the  starboard  boom  for  the  cadets." 

"  Tim,  why  don't  you  go  in  ? "  suddenly  called  out 
Preble,  as  he  saw  Tim  pass  below  them. 

"  Fresh  water  swimming,"  said  Tim  in  disgust  as  he 
passed  on. 

"  I  think  Tim's  bones  are  getting  a  little  stiff.  He  is 
really  getting  old,"  said  Preble. 

After  a  while  the  swimmers  were  called  in. 

"  Man  the  lower  boom  topping  lift !  "  ordered  the  officer 
of  the  deck.  "  Hoist  away !  " 

Buck  and  the  cadets  about  joined  with  the  sailors.  It 
was  the  first  time  Buck  pulled  on  a  piece  of  gear.  Casey 
piped,  "  Hook  on  the  dinghy !  "  The  dinghy  had  been 
manned  and  lay  off  a  little  distance  during  the  swimming. 

"  Lay  aft  to  the  boat's  falls !    Set  taut !    Hoist  away !  " 

Buck  put  his  whole  weight  in  the  boat's  falls  as  he 
lowered  his  head  and  bent  over  with  the  sailors,  and  all 
marched  down  the  gangway  stamping  to  keep  time.  It 
seemed  to  be  up. 

"  Once  more,  once  again,"  and  Casey  piped  to  haul 
hard. 

"  Belay,  belay !    Come  up  with  the  falls !  " 

Buck  turned  to  Preble.    "  It's  great." 

Preble  smiled.  "  You'll  get  enough  hauling  on  gear 
before  the  cruise  is  over."  But  he  could  not  check  Buck's 
enthusiasm.  He  wished  they  might  make  sail  that  minute 
and  start.  Health  and  strength,  physical,  mental,  and 
moral,  made  Buck  a  natural  optimist  and  enthusiast,  and 
the  new  environment  was  an  inspiration. 

The  two  cadets  went  forward  and  sat  down  with  Casey 
on  his  chest,  and  were  talking  over  the  prospects,  wonder- 
ing when  they  would  start  on  the  cruise. 

Buck  heard  the  officer  of  the  deck  order,  "  Bugler, 


BUCK  MAKES  A  NEW  FRIEND  101 

sound  the  call !  "  At  the  first  blast  Casey  and  Preble 
jumped  up  and  faced  aft,  and  so  did  all  the  men  about  the 
deck.  Buck  quickly  followed  the  example.  The  colors 
started  down.  Slowly  they  came.  At  the  last  note  of  the 
bugle  all  saluted. 

Buck's  heart  leaped  high.     He  realized  through  every 
tingling  fiber  of  his  being  that  he  was  "  serving  under  the 


Soon,  at  the  order  from  the  officer  of  the  deck,  all  the 
boatswain's  mates  piped  together,  and  called  out,  "  Stand 
by  your  hammocks !  "  All  the  enlisted  men  and  cadets 
ranged  themselves  along  the  gangway  outboard,  next  to 
the  hammock  netting,  the  cadets  abaft. 

When  Buck  finally  turned  in  at  9.30  he  went  to  sleep 
quickly,  but  not  until  he  had  thought  over  the  day  and 
realized  that  he  was  at  last  on  a  warship  in  commission, 
and  he  had  undefined  feelings  of  gratitude  and  resolved 
to  do  his  part  well. 

The  next  morning  Buck  jumped  up  at  gun  fire,  and 
was  the  first  of  the  cadets  to  get  his  hammock  lashed  and 
on  deck.  Preble  was  next. 

"  To-day  is  graduation,"  remarked  Preble.  "  By 
twelve  o'clock  we  shall  be  real  plebes." 

As  soon  as  breakfast  was  over  Buck  began  investigat- 
ing the  nature  of  his  duties  as  specified  on  the  watch  quar- 
ter station  bill. 

"  Preble,  where  is  the  main  royal  yard  ?  " 

"  See  away  up  there,  the  highest  yard  on  the  main- 
mast." 

"  Would  the  officer  of  the  deck  let  us  go  up  there  ?  " 

"  I  think  so.  To-morrow  before  sunset  colors,  when  the 
other  classes  get  on  board,  you'll  have  to  go  up  for  send- 
ing down  light  yards,  and  possibly  they  will  send  us  over 
the  masthead  to-day." 


102  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

The  permission  was  granted. 

Buck  climbed  the  main  rigging  and  reached  the  main- 
top as  he  had  done  on  the  Wyoming,  then  he  entered  on 
the  new  venture  of  climbing  the  topmast  rigging,  and  fi- 
nally stood  on  the  crosstrees  holding  tight  to  the  top- 
gallant shrouds. 

"  It  is  very  high,"  he  murmured,  and  his  head  seemed 
to  get  dizzy  as  he  looked  down.  Soon  he  mastered  his 
feelings,  and  slowly  started  up  the  Jacob's  ladder. 

"  It's  very  loose.  I  wonder  if  it  is  going  to  give  way." 
He  paused  and  his  heart  seemed  to  come  up  in  his  throat. 
"  Of  course  it'  must  be  strong."  But  a  tremor  passed 
over  his  frame  as  he  glanced  over  his  shoulder  at  the  dizzy 
height.  He  turned  his  eyes  upward,  held  his  teeth  tight 
together  and  slowly  climbed  on,  till  at  last  he  stood  on 
the  jack,  with  his  left  arm  around  the  mast,  his  right 
hand  holding  the  backstay.  He  felt  tumult  within.  There 
was  nature's  strong  impulse  to  get  down  and  escape,  and 
there  was  the  resolve  to  conquer  nature.  Buck  seemed  to 
take  a  savage  pleasure  in  almost  torturing  himself. 

"  I'll  stand  here  till  there  is  no  sign  of  a  tremor  left ;" 
and  he  stood. 

Casey  was  looking  at  him  from  down  on  the  forecastle. 

"  Come  here,  Olsen,"  he  said  to  the  sailor  standing 
on  the  other  side  of  the  deck.  "  You  see  that  cadet  up 
there  on  the  main  jack  ?  He  is  stationed  in  the  main  royal 
with  you.  He's  a  new  one  and  a  friend  of  mine.  I  want 
you  to  look  out  for  him.  He  is  inclined  to  be  venture- 
some. Keep  your  eye  on  him  until  he  gets  used  to 
handling  the  sail." 


CHAPTEE    IX 

BUCK     LEARNS     SEAMANSHIP     AND     SOME     OTHER     THINGS 

AT  one  o'clock  Carrington  and  the  Chaplain  came  on 
board;  the  boats  were  hoisted,  the  lower  booms 
rigged  in,  the  chain  cable  unshackled  from  the 
buoy,  the  ship  being  held,  as  she  rode  to  the  flood  tide,  by 
a  slip  rope  through  the  buoy  ring. 

At  2.30  the  Standish  and  the  Phlox  came  alongside, 
and  by  4.30  the  Constellation  dropped  anchor  in  seven 
fathoms  of  water  beyond  the  bar  well  out  in  the  bay,  Cap- 
tain Carrington  deciding  to  remain  at  anchor  over  night 
as  the  wind  was  a  head  one. 

A  feeling  of  exultation  came  over  Buck.  "  All 
hands  "  were  allowed  to  go  in  swimming,  and  when  Buck 
struck  the  water  and  began  to  swim  against  the  wind  and 
tide,  he  felt  that  he  was  really  making  the  acquaintance 
of  the  sea.  It  seemed  to  challenge  him,  and  whenever 
a  wave  larger  than  the  others  came  along  he  took  delight 
in  riding  it,  swimming  on  his  face  in  the  trough,  then  ris- 
ing on  his  side  and  taking  the  crest  with  the  back  of  his 
head.  The  first  big  wave  he  struck  was  followed  by  a  sec- 
ond one  before  he  was  prepared  and  it  ducked  him  and 
partly  strangled  him. 

"  The  big  fellows  come  in  pairs.  They  won't  catch  me 
again !  "  and  Buck  swam  well  forward  of  the  ship  against 
the  waves  and  came  back  with  them,  his  face  fairly  beam- 

103 


104  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

ing.  He  thought  he  would  go  up  and  take  a  farewell  dive 
from  the  bulwarks.  He  walked  up  the  boom,  and  was 
nearly  at  the  ship's  side  when  Rutlidge  started  out. 

"  Wait  till  I  get  in,"  called  out  Buck. 

"  It  is  too  late,"  answered  Rutlidge. 

"  Then  turn  around  and  go  back." 

"  I  can't  turn  around." 

"  Then  come  on." 

Buck  knew  that  Rutlidge  was  an  indifferent  swimmer, 
and  that  he  knew  nothing  about  diving,  so  he  decided  to 
make  way  and,  as  Rutlidge  drew  near,  he  leaned  out  to 
let  him  pass.  Rutlidge  was  rattled,  and  being  about  to 
lose  his  balance,  leaned  out  the  same  way.  The  life  line 
running  above  the  boom  slackened  more  than  Buck  ex- 
pected. His  foot  slipped. 

"  If  I  hold  to  the  line,  it  will  throw  Rutlidge  off." 
Buck  let  go. 

It  was  about  a  twenty-foot  fall.  Buck  tried  to  kick 
up  his  heels  and  take  the  water  with  his  hands  and  head. 
Too  late !  He  shut  his  mouth  tight  as  he  struck  the  water 
square  on  the  back  of  his  neck  and  his  spine.  Everything 
turned  black.  His  powerful  heart  action  probably  stood 
him  in  good  stead. 

With  the  dawning  of  semiconsciousness,  he  felt  some 
one  beneath  him,  pushing  him  upward.  He  began  to  real- 
ize that  he  was  under  the  water  and  began  to  kick.  Fierce 
pains  darted  through  his  head  and  back.  He  started  to 
gasp.  The  brine  poured  into  his  mouth.  The  man  be- 
neath him  worked  frantically.  Full  consciousness  came 
as  he  reached  the  surface,  completely  strangled.  He 
spat  the  water  out  and  began  to  strike  out  against  the 
waves. 

"  You'd  better  come  this  way  and  go  in  over  the 
Jacob's  ladder  astern."  It  was  Casey  beside  him.  He 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP          105 

saw  that  they  had  drifted  abaft  the  gangway.  Things 
were  still  blurred  before  Buck's  eyes,  and  he  was  racked 
by  strange  pains. 

"  I  am  going  in  from  the  boom,"  was  his  determined 
answer,  and  he  began  to  get  his  long  side  stroke  and  to 
take  the  waves  with  the  back  of  his  head. 

When  they  reached  the  boom  and  Buck  got  hold,  Casey 
said: 

"  I'll  go  around  the  other  side  and  nobody  will  notice 
it."  He  struck  out  around  the  bow  with  his  powerful  stroke 
and  came  in  over  the  port  boom,  reaching  the  deck  almost 
as  soon  as  Buck  did,  all  the  other  swimmers  being  in  and 
the  topping  lift  being  already  manned. 

"  Been  in  swimming,  Tim  ?  "  said  Mike  Kelly,  the 
wag,  captain  of  the  forecastle.  "  I  thought  you  didn't  want 
any  more  swimming  in  these  waters." 

"  I  thought  I'd  get  a  taste  of  the  brine." 

"  Where's  your  swimming  trunks  ?  " 

"  I  thought  I'd  wash  out  my  clothes." 

"  You  must  be  looking  up.  Since  when  did  you  begin 
going  in  on  the  starboard  side  ?  " 

"  I  only  went  in  over  the  bow  and  came  around  to  the 
port  side." 

Tim  had  taken  off  his  dripping  clothes  to  the  waist  and 
was  rubbing  down. 

"  Where's  your  pipe  and  your  hat,  Tim  ?  " 

This  was  too  much.  Tim  had  gone  overboard  many  a 
time  in  an  emergency,  and  had  seen  other  seamen  go  over 
likewise,  but  he  had  never  heard  of  a  seaman  going  over 
so  quick  that  he  didn't  take  time  to  put  his  pipe  in  his 
hat  and  leave  them  behind. 

During  the  swimming  Tim  had  been  sitting  up  on  the 
topgallant  forecastle  smoking  and  watching  Buck.  It  re- 
newed his  youth  as  he  saw  Buck  take  the  waves  for  the 
8 


106  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

first  time.  He  was  watching  when  Buck  came  up  the 
boom,  and  the  instant  he  saw  how  Buck  struck,  he  was 
overboard. 

"  Look  here,  Mike,  you  blasted  Irishman !  " 

"  What  are  you  yourself  ?  " 

Tim  made  as  though  to  take  a  belaying  pin  from  the 
fife  rail. 

"  Maybe  Mr.  Jones  don't  want  to  talk  about  this,  and 
if  you  don't  keep  your  Irish  tongue  from  wagging,  I'll 
crack  your  skull  and  feed  you  to  the  sharks  the  first  dark 
night  outside  the  Capes !  " 

Buck  had  to  steady  himself  as  he  went  down  to  the 
berth  deck  and  up  to  the  washroom  to  rub  down  and 
dress.  He  turned  in  as  soon  as  hammocks  were  piped,  but 
could  not  go  to  sleep  on  account  of  the  dull  pain  in  his 
head  and  back.  Shortly  after  both  watches  had  been 
piped  down  and  the  anchor  watch  had  been  mustered  and 
everything  was  still,  a  man  straightened  up  from  beneath 
his  hammock. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  Mr.  Jones  ?  "  he  asked  in  a  low 
voice.  Buck  recognized  Casey. 

"  I  have  a  pain  in  my  back  and  head,  but  I  think  it 
will  be  all  right  to-morrow.  You  are  very  good  to  come 
to  see  me,  Tim." 

"  I  have  some  turpentine  I  got  from  the  ship's 
painter,"  began  Tim. 

"  Turpentine  is  good,  I  know.  My  mother  uses  it  on 
us  boys,"  Buck  said. 

"  Turn  over,  and  let  me  rub  your  back." 

Buck  obeyed,  and  the  old  sailor  rubbed  his  back  for 
nearly  an  hour,  until  the  heavy  breathing  showed  that 
Buck  was  asleep ;  then  he  gently  slipped  away. 

The  next  day  Buck  was  much  better,  but  he  still  felt 
somewhat  dazed.  He  managed  to  get  through  gun  quar- 


BUCK   LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  107 

ters  and  a  short  drill,  as  well  as  to  do  his  part  in  getting 
up  anchor  and  making  sail.  No  one  but  Tim  noticed 
anything. 

The  wind  held  from  the  southeast  and  they  continued 
beating  down  the  bay,  tacking  every  hour  or  two.  Late 
in  the  afternoon  Tim  called  Olsen  up. 

"  They  are  probably  going  to  shorten  sail  and  anchor 
soon.  Keep  a  good  lookout  on  Mr.  Jones  when  you  go 
up  to  furl  the  main  royal.  He's  not  very  well  to-day,  and 
ought  to  be  on  the  sick  list.  Keep  him  in  near  the  bunt, 
and  don't  get  out  of  reach  of  him.  Never  mind  about  the 
outer  gaskets.  I  will  square  you  with  the  first  lieutenant 
if  he  sees  them." 

As  Tim  foresaw,  about  sunset,  "  all  hands "  were 
called  to  shorten  sail  and  bring  ship  to  anchor. 

"  Stand  by  to  lay  aloft,  light  yardmen !  " 

Buck  was  in  the  rigging  with  the  rest.  "  Lay  aloft !  " 
and  Buck  was  off,  leaving  all  the  cadets  except  a  third 
classman  on  the  topgallant  yard.  He  reached  the  royal 
yard  but  a  little  behind  Olsen. 

"  Lay  out  and  furl  away !  " 

"  I'll  not  wait,  but  will  go  out  on  the  yardarm  myself 
this  time.  You  stay  in  at  the  bunt,"  and  Olsen  laid  out 
and  stopped  half  way. 

"  We'll  get  it  well  up  inboard  first,"  he  said ;  and  he 
and  Buck  leaned  over  the  yard  and  grabbed  up  fast  to  beat 
the  fore  royal. 

"  Be  careful,  Mr.  'Jones.  The  foot  rope  is  short,  even 
in  here.  Don't  pull  up  so  hard.  You  might  miss  and 
go  over  backwards." 

The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  his  mouth  when  Buck 
made  a  heavy  grab,  as  the  sail  bellied  out,  and  missed. 
The  impetus  carried  him  backward.  He  grabbed  at  the 
yard ;  too  late !  His  finger  tips  only  touched.  He  bent 


108  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

his  knees  to  try  to  catch  the  stirrup;  too  late!  It  was 
out  of  reach. 

Thoughts  began  to  flash  through  his  mind  like  light- 
ning. It  was  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  to  the  deck. 

Olsen's  arm  was  about  him  at  the  small  of  the  back 
and  hurled  him  back  against  the  yard.  Buck  drew  a  deep 
breath.  It  was  all  over  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

"  That  was  a  good  turn,  Olsen !  "  he  said,  as  he  took 
up  the  furling  again,  more  cautiously  this  time. 

The  Constellation  made  only  about  twenty-five  miles 
that  first  day.  It  was  a  good  day  for  practice  work  and 
seamanship  with  the  constant  tacking,  but  the  wind  died 
down  toward  sunset  and  the  distance  covered  was  a  dis- 
appointment. So  the  Captain  in  his  night  orders  di- 
rected the  officer  of  the  deck  that  if  the  wind  should 
spring  up  in  the  night,  "  all  hands  "  should  be  called  at 
daybreak. 

Buck  felt  as  though  he  had  only  begun  to  sleep  when 
he  heard  the  mate  of  the  berth  deck  calling : 

"  Turn  out !  Turn  out !  All  hands  on  deck !  Don't 
stop  to  lash  your  hammocks !  " 

He  dressed  by  the  dim  light  and  hurried  on  deck  to 
find  it  still  dark,  though  day  was  breaking.  He  shivered 
a  little  as  he  waited  for  the  others  to  get  on  deck  and  the 
work  to  begin,  but  he  caught  the  spirit  of  the  scene  about 
him.  The  stars  were  shining  overhead  and  a  brilliant 
morning  planet  swung  over  the  east.  Thorn's  Point  light 
with  its  flashes  was  just  visible  above  the  horizon  to  the 
north,  and  the  white  light  of  Sharp's  Island  shone  steady 
across  the  bay.  A  six-masted  schooner  was  passing  near 
with  its  green  headlight,  the  dark  hull  and  the  tall  sails 
outlined  against  the  sky,  earlier  than  the  Constellation  in 
taking  advantage  of  the  favorable  land  breeze. 

"  Buck,  have  you  had  any  coffee  ?  "  asked  Preble  as 


BUCK  LEARXS  SEAMANSHIP  109 

be  came  up  the  hatch  biting  a  piece  of  hard-tack,  and 
found  Buck  looking  out  over  the  bay. 

Buck  hurried  down.  The  men  were  assembled  in 
groups  on  the  gun  deck,  with  tin  cups  drinking  black 
coffee,  served  from  big  tin  buckets,  and  the  cadets  were 
sitting  about  the  tables  on  the  berth  deck.  Buck  sipped 
the  black  steaming  coffee,  and  felt  it  scalding  in  his  mouth 
and  throat. 

The  boatswain's  mate  piped,  "  Turn  to !  "  and  then, 
"  All  hands  up  anchor !  "  "  Clear  the  berth  deck !  Clear 
the  berth  deck !  "  cried  the  mate  of  the  deck,  a  first  class- 
man. "  On  deck,  there,  Mr.  Jones !  " 

Buck  took  a  last  swallow  and  grabbed  up  a  piece  of 
hard-tack  and  ran  up  the  fore  hatch. 

"  Lay  down  on  the  gun  deck,  port  watch,  and  bring  to 
the  chains !  " 

"  All  ready  for  heaving  around !  "  cried  Chaw  Bartell 
from  the  forecastle. 

"  Heave  round !  "  ordered  the  officer  of  the  deck,  and 
the  port  watch  put  their  weight  on  the  capstan  bars.  Buck 
looked  down  the  hatch.  The  clank  of  the  palls  and  the 
heavy  rattle  of  the  chains  stirred  his  blood.  The  capstan 
began  to  turn  faster.  The  men  on  the  outer  ends  of  the 
bars  were  almost  in  a  trot.  Buck  couldn't  stand -it  any 
longer.  He  slipped  down  the  hatch,  jumped  in  on  the 
first  bar  and  pushed  with  all  his  might. 

"  Hello,  Jones,  what  are  you  doing  down  here  ?  I 
thought  you  were  in  the  starboard  watch,"  said  Ninman 
from  the  bar  behind. 

"  So  I  am,  but  there  is  nothing  doing  up  there  yet. 
This  is  fine  sport."  No  trace  of  the  pain  of  the  previous 
day  was  left,  except  a  lingering  twitch  when  he  turned 
his  neck  too  far,  and  Buck  took  relish  in  putting  his  whole 
strength  out. 


110  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Forecastle,  there,  how  is  the  chain  ?  " 

"  Ten  fathoms  at  the  hawse  pipe,  sir." 

"  Clear  away  the  head  sails !  " 

Buck  ducked  under  the  bars  and  went  up  the  hatch 
like  a  shot. 

"  The  lad  is  stationed  on  the  main  royal,  but  I  bet  he 
has  gone  out  to  help  loose  the  jib,"  said  one  of  the  sailors. 
And  so  Buck  had. 

"  I  don't  do  more  than  I  have  to,"  remarked  Pike- 
man,  "  and  anybody  that  does  is  a  bootlick." 

"  Put  your  weight  on  the  bar,  Mr.  Pikeman,  or  I'll 
report  you  for  shirking,"  sharply  called  out  the  first  class- 
man in  charge  forward. 

"  The  chain  is  up  and  down,  sir." 

"  Man  the  jib  halyards !  " 

"  Anchor's  away,  sir." 

"  Clear  away  the  down  haul,  hoist  away !  " 

Buck  grabbed  the  jib  halyards  along  with  the  fore- 
castlemen  and  tore  down  the  deck,  pulling  with  all  his 
might  as  they  ran. 

"Haul  aft  the  starboard  jib  sheet!"  and  as  the  jib 
began  to  draw,  the  bow  began  to  pay  off,  and  the  ship  be- 
gan to  turn  to  the  eastward,  from  where  she  had  been 
riding  to  the  ebb  tide. 

"  Anchor's  in  sight,  sir,  clear  anchor !  " 

"Hook  the  cat!" 

Steadily  the  ship's  head  swung  around  and  passed  to 
the  southward. 

"  Shift  over  the  jib  sheet !  " 

"  Lay  up  and  clear  away  the  spanker !  " 

"Man  the  spanker  outhaul!  "  and  Buck  was  off  to 
join  the  afterguardsmen. 

"  Clear  away  the  brails,  haul  out !  "  and  the  spanker 
took  the  wind  and  the  ship  continued  to  swing. 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  111 

"Manthecatfall!" 

Buck  ran  forward  again. 

"  Set  taut !     Hoist  away !  " 

"  Stand  by  to  lay  aloft,  light  yardmen!  " 

Buck  was  the  first  man  in  the  rigging. 

"  Keep  down  in  the  main  rigging,"  warned  the  officer 
of  the  deck,  as  Buck  was  slipping  up  to  get  a  better  start. 

"Lay  aloft!" 

Up  they  went  on  the  fore,  main,  and  mizzen;  Buck 
was  in  the  lead.  He  missed  two  or  three  ratlins  and 
chafed  his  shins,  and  two  men  passed  ahead  of  him 
through  the  lubber's  hole. 

"  Stand  by  to  lay  aloft,  topmen !     Lay  aloft !  " 

In  the  topmast  rigging  Buck  caught  up  and  reached 
the  crosstrees  ahead  and  beat  Olsen  up  to  the  yard,  and 
was  out  loosening  the  gaskets. 

"  Main  royal  yard,  there !  "  yelled  the  officer  of  the 
deck  through  his  trumpet.  "  Lay  in  till  the  order." 

"  Lay  out  and  loose,"  and  on  all  the  yards  in  the  ship 
they  laid  out  together. 

11  Lay  in  and  lay  down  from  aloft !  " 

Buck  saw  so  many  below  him  in  the  way  that  he 
jumped  on  the  topgallant  backstay  and  slid  down. 

"  Man  the  topsail  halyards !    Set  taut,  hoist  away !  " 

When  he  was  through  hauling  on  the  main  topsail  hal- 
yards, Buck  jumped  forward  and  helped  in  the  last  haul- 
ing on  the  fore-topsail  halyards.  Thus  Buck  kept  on  the 
jump  from  one  rope  to  the  next  till  all  sail  was  set. 

"  Pipe  down,  remain  on  deck,  starboard  watch !  " 

The  sun  was  just  up  and  the  ship  went  bowling  along 
about  eight  knots  an  hour,  with  the  wind  abeam.  An  ideal 
start;  and  Buck  was  full  of  enthusiasm.  When  the  star- 
board watch  went  below  at  eight  bells  the  ship  was  off  the 
mouth  of  the  Patuxent  Kiver. 


112  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

The  Captain  wished  to  make  up  time,  so  he  kept  the  ship 
on  its  course  without  undertaking  any  seamanship  man- 
euvers, but  made  up  by  a  long  drill  at  gun  quarters  from 
nine-thirty  till  eleven.  Some  of  Buck's  crew  smiled  at  the 
way  he  jumped  back  and  forth  with  the  long  powder 
pouch. 

"  We'll  have  to  change  the  name  from  '  powder  mon- 
key '  to  '  powder  rabbit/  "  whispered  one. 

"  Then  it  would  truly  be  a  case  of  a  (  Buck  rabbit,' ' 
whispered  the  other. 

"  Knock  off  your  laughing,  there,  and  attend  to  your 
duties." 

The  gun  captain  was  severe,  but  a  smile  passed  over 
the  whole  crew  as  the  joke  was  quietly  passed  along. 

"  Away,  riflemen !  "  The  gong  sounded.  Buck 
started,  but  remembered  that  he  was  a  boarder. 

"  Away,  boarders,  board  from  the  starboard  bow !  " 

The  rattle  sounded.  Buck  dropped  his  pouch,  drew 
his  cutlass,  rushed  up  the  hatch,  flew  for  the  bow  and 
arrived  even  before  the  boarders  from  the  forward  guns. 
He  brandished  his  cutlass  over  the  bulwarks,  and  pic- 
tured to  himself  that  he  was  boarding  the  Serapis  from 
the  bow  of  the  Bonhomme  Richard. 

"  Shift  breeching,  sponge,  load,  and  shift  left  truck ! 
Train  three  points  forward  of  the  beam!  Range  two 
thousand  yards!  Aim! — Fire! — Sponge! — Load!  "  and 
so  the  drill  went  on  for  a  solid  hour  and  a  half. 

After  securing,  the  retreat  sounded;  the  plebes  gath- 
ered on  the  spar  deck  around  the  mainmast,  and  along  the 
sailing  launch,  and  most  of  them  stretched  out  on  the  deck 
apparently  exhausted. 

"  It's  great,  isn't  it  ? "  remarked  Buck  with  enthu- 
siasm. 

"  I  don't  see  anything  great  in  going  over  and  over 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  113 

again  the  same  thing.  Carrington  and  Dott  never  know 
when  to  quit,"  said  Pikeman. 

Lieutenant  Commander  Dott  had  just  been  ordered  to 
the  Academy  as  senior  assistant  to  the  Commandant,  and 
was  the  executive  officer  of  the  ship. 

"  Dott  is  an  old  stinker,  anyhow.  He  would  drive  you 
till  you  fell  dead.  Say,  Preble,  do  they  work  you  as  hard 
as  this  all  through  the  cruise  ?  " 

"  Pretty  much,  in  one  way  or  another." 

"  Then  it  will  be  as  bad  as  it  was  on  the  Santee" 

Buck  saw  there  was  no  use  to  argue  the  matter,  so 
he  went  up  forward  where  he  saw  Casey  and  Kelly 
talking. 

"  Where  are  we,  Casey  ?  " 

"  Off  the  mouth  of  the  Potomac.  This  land  breeze 
is  holding  on  longer  than  usual.  It's  going  down  now  and 
there  won't  be  much  of  it  left  by  the  dogwatch.  But  it 
will  stiffen  about  sunset,  and  if  it's  in  a  hurry  the  Captain 
is,  and  he  holds  on  all  night,  we  can  anchor  off  Hampton 
Roads  for  breakfast." 

"  Mr.  Jones,  do  you  see  that  point  over  there  ?  "  put 
in  Kelly,  as  he  pointed  over  to  the  northward  of  the  mouth 
of  the  river. 

"  No,  I  can't  see  it." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  its  name  is  ?  " 

Buck  looked  carefully. 

"  I  tell  you  that's  no  point." 

"  Right  you  are,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  Kelly  with  ill-con- 
cealed merriment. 

"  You  know,  Mr.  Jones,  with  seafaring  men,  every- 
thing is  a'  point,  but  that  point  is  No  Point." 

Buck  looked  at  Casey  for  an  explanation.  There  was 
a  twinkle  in  Casey's  eye. 

"  Mike  Kelly  must  have  his  Irish  fun.     But  Mike's 


114  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

a  good  fellow  with  all  that.  You  see,  Mr.  Jones,  that 
point  is  so  low  that  you  can't  see  it  any  distance  away, 
and  the  sailors  these  hundred  years  have  called  it  Point 
£To  Point;  and  that's  its  name." 

Buck  laughed  loud  and  long. 

"  That's  a  good  one,  Mike.  I'm  going  to  try  it  on 
Mr.  Preble." 

"  You'd  better  try  it  on  one  of  the  new  ones,  and  get 
Mr.  Preble  to  stand  by  you." 

The  bugle  sounded  the  dinner  call  for  the  starboard 
watch.  Buck  went  below  to  find  Preble,  and  Casey  went 
by  to  look  out  for  his  pigeons. 

At  dinner  Buck  set  the  whole  table  roaring,  including 
the  upper  classmen,  as  he  caught  three  or  four  of  the 
plebes  in  turn  before  they  caught  on.  Casey  and  Kelly 
heard  with  great  satisfaction  what  a  success  he  had  made 
with  the  joke. 

"  The  lad  has  as  much  humor  as  if  his  name  were 
Pat,"  remarked  Casey. 

"  Or  Tim,"  put  in  Kelly. 

"  Or  Mike,"  retorted  Casey. 

"  We  must  put  him  on  to  some  more  things." 

Casey  nodded. 

In  the  afternoon  watch  it  came  Buck's  turn  at  the 
lead.  He  had  been  watching  the  process  of  heaving,  and 
felt  that  he  could  heave  it  all  right,  for  he  had  used  a 
sling  at  Sumter  with  great  success,  but  the  first  time  he 
tried,  the  lead  came  near  falling  on  his  head. 

"  Put  more  muck  in  it,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  the  "  gen- 
tleman of  the  watch,"  the  first  classman  on  duty. 

The  next  time  the  lead  went  around,  but  made  so  little 
distance  ahead,  that  though  the  ship's  speed  had  dimin- 
ished to  about  four  knots,  Buck  failed  to  get  a  sounding. 
He  grit  his  teeth.  "  I'll  put  it  far  enough  this  time," 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  115 

and  the  lead  went  well  out,  but  fell  over  the  muzzle  of  the 
second  broadside  gun,  and  he  had  trouble  pulling  it  back. 

"  Use  your  head,  Mr.  Jones." 

Buck  realized  that  he  had  to  aim  the  lead. 

"  In  the  chains,  there !  "  called  the  officer  of  the  deck 
sharply. 

"  Sir  ?  "  answered  Buck,  as  consternation  seized  him. 

"  What  is  your  sounding  ?  " 

"  I  must  get  it  this  time.  I'll  aim  well  out,"  resolved 
Buck  as  he  steadied  himself. 

If  the  officer  of  the  deck  thought  he  would  rattle  the 
amateur,  he  was  mistaken.  The  lead  went  well  forward 
and  some  distance  out  from  the  ship's  side,  farther  out 
than  a  seaman  would  have  put  it,  but  it  got  bottom,  with 
the  red  mark  just  showing  at  the  water's  edge. 

"  By  the  mark,  seven,"  Buck  called  out  with  a  note  of 
victory  in  every  word. 

The  officer  of  the  deck  looked  at  the  gentleman  of  the 
watch  and  both  smiled. 

Buck  began  to  get  bottom  nearly  every  time. 

"  By  the  mark,  seven,"  he  called  out  several  times. 

"  It's  not  quite  so  deep  this  time.  I  wonder  what  I 
ought  to  call  it.  I'll  try  it  carefully  again."  The  same 
thing:  the  red  rag  mark  was  well  above  the  water.  Buck 
pulled  it  up  to  see  the  mark  below,  the  white  mark  for 
five  fathoms. 

"  It's  about  half  way  between  the  seven  and  the  five 
—by  the  mark,  six,"  he  called  out. 

"  What  is  that,  sir  ? "  demanded  the  officer  of  the 
deck. 

Buck  repeated,  "  By  the  mark,  six." 

"  There  is  no  such  mark,  sir." 

Buck  felt  the  blood  rushing  to  his  cheeks. 

"  Gentleman  of  the  watch,"  continued  the  officer  of  the 


116  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

deck  in  a  severe  tone,  "  teach  that  land  lubber  in  the 
chains  something  about  the  lead  line." 

"  Mr.  Jones,  when  there  is  no  mark  and  you  estimate 
it  an  even  fathom,  call  it  '  by  the  deep.'  If  it  is  a 
fraction  of  a  fathom,  call  it  by  the  quarter,  more  or 
less." 

That  was  all  that  was  needed. 

"  By  the  deep,  six,"  he  called  out  next,  and  soon  took 
pride  in  estimating  to  the  half  fathom  and  the  quarter 
fathom. 

"  And  a  half,  six — quarter  less  seven,"  and  before  the 
two  hours  were  up  he  felt  sure  of  himself. 

Buck  went  forward  when  relieved,  holding  his  head 
high.  He  got  Casey  talking  about  the  lead.  Casey  went 
on  to  tell  him  about  the  different  size  leads,  the  limits  of 
the  hand  lead,  the  deep-sea  lead,  and  about  the  record 
soundings  he  had  helped  Commodore  Maury  and  Captain 
Sigsbee  to  make,  and  about  the  queer  specimens  they  had 
brought  up  from  great  depths. 

Buck's  enthusiasm  was  stirred. 

"  Do  you  think  we  shall  use  the  patent  deep-sea  lead 
this  cruise  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  indeed ;  the  first  time  we  come  in  from  sea  and 
approach  the  land." 

Mike  Kelly  came  up  at  this  point  with  a  twinkle  in 
his  eye. 

"  Speaking  of  heaving  the  lead,  I  have  a  conundrum 
to  ask  you,  Mr.  Jones,"  and  Kelly  cast  his  eye  over  at 
Casey.  "  Why  is  it  impossible  for  a  leadsman  on  the 
Constellation  to  come  up  to  a  certain  great  humorist  ? " 

Casey  himself  looked  puzzled.  "  That's  a  new  one  on 
me."  They  thought  awhile  and  finally  both  gave  it  up. 

"  Because  the  ship  would  run  aground  before  he  could 
reach  Mark  Twain." 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  117 

"  That's  a  good  one,"  and  Buck  was  off  down  the  gang- 
way to  catch  Preble. 

"  No,  I'll  wait  and  catch  him  and  the  others  at 
supper." 

He  could  hardly  contain  himself  till  the  supper  call, 
and  at  table  it  seemed  there  would  never  be  an  opening. 
It  was  a  hard  school  in  self-restraint.  Finally  Harry 
Billerson,  who  had  had  such  a  hard  time  at  the  lead  the 
day  before,  remarked : 

"  Jones,  I  noticed  you  had  a  turn  at  the  lead  this  af- 
ternoon, and  I  understand  the  gunner's  mate  was  very  un- 
easy, afraid  he'd  lose  the  tompion  in  the  muzzle  of  number 
five  and  number  seven  guns." 

"  Yes,"  said  Buck  carelessly,  "  it  was  rather  humil- 
iating." He  paused,  and  then  continued : 

"  The  truth  is  a  leadsman  on  this  deep-draft  ship 
doesn't  have  a  fair  chance." 

Everybody  was  looking  at  Buck  and  listening  by  this 
time,  even  the  upper  classmen. 

"  To  illustrate,  I  will  ask  you  a  conundrum.  Why  is 
it  impossible  for  a  leadsman  on  the  Constellation  to  come 
up  to  a  certain  great  humorist?  " 

Preble  looked  up  reproachfully.  His  eyes  told  Buck 
plainly :  "  I  think  you  might  have  let  me  on."  And 
Buck's  eyes  confessed:  "I  know  it  was  mean,  but  I 
couldn't  help  it."  The  question  passed  up  and  down  the 
deck,  to  both  tables;  the  mess  boys  had  taken  it  to  the 
pantry,  and  had  given  it  to  the  steward,  and  from  him  it 
reached  the  ship's  cook,  and  spread  over  the  gun  deck.  In 
a  little  while  it  had  gotten  into  the  wardroom  and  then 
actually  penetrated  the  cabin. 

"  It's  really  so  simple  and  easy,  I'm  ashamed  to  tell 
you  now." 

Buck  was  nonchalant  and  was  getting  up  to  go. 


118  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Let  us  have  it ;  let  us  have  it.  We  must  have  it 
before  you  go." 

Buck  gave  the  answer  and  darted  up  the  hatch  to  tell 
Casey  and  Kelly,  but  found  them  already  in  gales  of 
laughter  among  the  men. 

"  You  certainly  worked  it  fine,  Mr.  Jones."  They 
hadn't  enjoyed  themselves  so  much  in  months. 

As  Casey  predicted,  the  wind  fell  almost  to  a  calm  as 
the  afternoon  advanced,  but  about  sunset  it  began  to  pick 
up  again.  There  was  no  sign  of  coming  to  anchor;  on 
the  contrary,  at  sunset  the  officer  called  out : 

"  Rig  out  the  running  lights,  station  the  deck  look- 
outs !  " 

Buck  was  stationed  at  the  starboard  gangway  lookout, 
the  second  half  of  the  dogwatch  from  six  to  eight.  He 
had  just  taken  his  post  when  he  called  out:  "  Light  ho!  " 

"  Where  away  ?  "  called  the  officer  of  the  deck  in  reply. 

"  Four  points  forward  of  the  starboard  stern." 

"  Can  you  make  it  out  ?  " 

"  Flash  light,  sir;  red  and  white." 

Buck  had  caught  the  light  of  Smith  Point,  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Potomac,  the  instant  it  flashed  down  the 
bay.  He  was  so  intent  watching  that  he  missed  the  mer- 
riment that  passed  along  the  deck.  The  gentleman  of 
the  watch  came  along  and  told  him  that  he  should  have 
reported  it  off  the  starboard  quarter.  It  was  Fonste,  who 
had  taken  a  fancy  to  Buck. 

"  You  caught  the  light  all  right.  That  was  the  main 
thing,"  he  said  to  comfort  him.  "  Now  keep  a  sharp  look- 
out forward." 

Not  ten  minutes  passed  before  Buck  sang  out  again: 
"Light  ho!" 

"Where  away?" 

"  Broad  off  the  starboard  bow." 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  119 

"Make  it  out?" 

"  Fixed  white  light" 

"  Orderly,"  Buck  heard  the  officer  of  the  deck  call 
out,  "  report  to  the  Captain  and  the  navigator  that  we  have 
picked  up  the  light  off  the  great  Wicomico  River,  bearing 
broad  off  the  starboard  bow." 

"  AJ,  aJ>  sir-" 

The  orderly  was  off  and  soon  returned. 

"  The  Captain  says  very  well,  sir.  Remain  on  your 
course.  The  navigator  requests  to  be  notified  when  the 
light  bears  abeam." 

A  few  minutes  later  Buck  sang  out  again : 

"Light  ho!" 

"Where  away?" 

"  Three  points  off  the  port  bow." 

"Make  it  out?" 

"  Fixed  white  light,  sir." 

"  Orderly,  report  to  the  Captain  and  the  navigator  that 
we  have  picked  up  Tangier  Island  light,  three  points  off 
the  port  bow." 

Then  the  officer  of  the  deck  called  through  his  trumpet : 

"  Keep  a  bright  lookout  ahead !  " 

The  lookouts  promptly  responded  in  turn. 

"  Starboard  cathead,  bright  light.  Port  cathead, 
bright  light.  Starboard  gangway.  Port  gangway.  Star- 
board quarter.  Port  quarter." 

"  Gentleman  of  the  watch,  find  out  why  the  other  look- 
outs failed  to  report  the  lights  just  picked  up." 

Fonste  went  off  and  returned. 

"  The  lookouts  seem  to  be  all  right,  sir.  They  say  the 
starboard  gangway  lookout  took  the  words  out  of  their 
mouths." 

"  Who  has  the  starboard  gangway  ?  " 

"  Jones,  B.  P." 


120  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

The  starboard  watch  turned  in  promptly  after  being 
relieved  at  eight  bells,  knowing  that  they  would  be  called 
at  midnight.  Buck  was  asleep  the  minute  he  was  in  his 
hammock.  It  seemed  an  untimely  awakening  when  he 
suddenly  heard  the  mate  of  the  deck  fairly  yelling: 

"  Turn  out!     Turn  out!     On  deck,  starboard  watch!  " 

Buck  was  dressed  and  off. 

"  You'd  better  take  your  overcoat.  You  have  time  to 
get  it,"  advised  Preble,  and  Buck  followed  his  advice,  get- 
ting up  on  deck  before  the  bell  struck,  and  in  ample  time 
to  answer  his  name  at  the  muster  as  the  gentleman  of  the 
watch  with  masked  lantern  went  about  mustering  the 
"  parts  of  the  ship." 

"  Lay  aft  the  life  boat's  crew  of  the  watch  to  muster !  " 
piped  Casey. 

Buck  began  to  get  a  little  cold,  so  he  put  on  his  over- 
coat. It  was  a  brilliant,  starlit  night,  and  the  lights  from 
several  lighthouses  were  in  view.  The  scene  was  one  to 
inspire  an  imagination  like  Buck's,  but  he  rubbed  his 
eyes.  They  felt  heavy. 

"  Casey,  do  you  know  what  lights  those  are  ? " 

"  We  are  off  Mob  jack  Bay,  it  seems  to  me.  Yes,  those 
lights  ahead  are  the  York  River  lights.  That  red  one  is 
York  Spit  light.  The  French  fleet  anchored  up  there.  I 
knew  an  old  sailor  who  had  been  on  board  the  flagship 
at  the  time.  He  told  me  how  Washington  threw  a  heav- 
ing line  out  to  the  French  Admiral,  and  between  them 
they  got  a  timber  hitch  around  the  British  army  and 
hauled  them  in." 

"Oh,  I  know/'  said  Buck.  "It  was  the  battle  of 
Yorktown,  where  Cornwallis  surrendered."  The  thought 
stirred  him  up,  but  in  vain.  He  soon  began  to  nod. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  I  think  you  had  better  go  to  sleep.  You 
have  no  lookout,  and  the  sails  probably  won't  be  touched 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  121 

during  the  watch.     Suppose  you  lie  down  on  the  deck, 
under  the  hose  rack,  at  the  bulwarks." 

Casey  laid  out  the  coil  of  clewline  for  a  pillow  and 
stretched  a  tarpaulin  over  Buck  as  he  lay  down. 

"  Now,  call  me,  if  anything  is  doing." 

"  I'll  call  you." 

"  You  promise  me  ?  " 

"  I  promise." 

Buck  was  very  sleepy,  but  he  wouldn't  take  any 
chances  of  missing  anything. 

Suddenly  he  was  roused  by  somebody  shaking  him. 

"  Fire  quarters !  Fire  in  the  forehold !  "  It  was 
Casey.  The  bell  began  to  strike  violently,  ding,  ding, 
ding,  ding — in  swift  succession,  then,  ding,  ding,  slowly 
— then  ding,  ding,  ding,  ding — ding — ding. 

"  My  duty  is  with  this  hose." 

Buck  remembered  with  a  flash.  He  had  the  hose  down 
in  an  instant,  the  coupling  end  clear,  and  the  nozzle  end 
laid  out,  when  Anderson,  captain  of  the  maintop,  arrived. 

"  You  couple  up,  Anderson,  and  I'll  manage  the  noz- 
zle and  get  it  in  place  before  you  can  start  the  pump," 
and  Buck  was  off  forward  dragging  the  hose  down 
the  fore  hatch  into  the  forehold.  There  was  a  light 
"  That's  the  fire."  As  he  arrived  Buck  turned  the  nozzle 
toward  the  fixed  lamplight.  "  I  won't  turn  it  on  the 
lamp  just  yet.  It  seems  all  right." 

"  Rig  the  pump — and  we'll  get  our  stream  first.  The 
hose  and  nozzle  are  gone  forward  already,"  directed  An- 
derson on  deck  as  his  men  arrived. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  smoldering  in  there,"  thought  Buck 
in  the  hold  as  the  water  came  and  he  turned  the  hose 
among  the  barrels.  "  I'd  better  try  it  over  there,"  and 
he  turned  it  over  to  the  shelves.  Out  jumped  the  Jack  o' 
the  Dust,  dripping. 
9 


122  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  What  is  it  ?  What  is  it  ?  "  he  asked  in  wild  amaze- 
ment. 

"  Fire  in  the  forehold,"  answered  Buck.  "  I  don't 
know  exactly  where,  but  I'll  get  it,"  and  he  turned  the 
hose  to  the  other  side.  "  It  may  be  smoldering  among 
those  goods,"  and  he  turned  it  into  the  storeroom.  "  They 
say  a  fire  aboard  ship  is  a  terrible  thing.  But  I  won't  let 
it  get  a  start,"  and  Buck  drenched  every  nook  with  the 
stream. 

The  Jack  o'  the  Dust  was  frantic  and  rushed  off  to 
the  first  lieutenant.  He  had  long  since  formed  the  habit 
of  laying  all  his  woes  before  the  first  lieutenant.  He 
came  up  dripping  and  panting. 

"  A  cadet  is  flooding  the  forehold,  sir.  He's  covered 
the  gear  and  spoiled  the  dry  provisions.  I  saw  the  tops 
fly  off  of  the  newly  opened  barrels  of  flour.  Half  the 
hard-tack  must  be  ruined  by  now." 

"  Go  and  tell  him  to  turn  the  hose  out  of  a  berth  deck 
air  port." 

When  the  Jack  o'  the  Dust  brought  the  order,  Buck 
said  to  himself: 

"  Yes,  I  think  that  the  forehold  is  now  safe,"  and  he 
began  taking  the  hose  up  the  hatch  and  out  to  the  side  of 
the  berth  deck,  and  in  doing  so,  flooded  a  half  dozen  ham- 
mocks, chiefly  of  first  classmen  and  third  classmen,  many 
of  whom  had  not  been  awakened  by  the  alarm.  The  first 
one  jumped  up  when  the  cold  water  struck  him  an,d  wip- 
ing his  terrified  face  asked  if  the  ship  were  sinking. 

"  No,  sir ;  only  a  fire  in  the  forehold.  I  think  the 
danger  is  over  now,"  answered  Buck  as  he  flooded  a  half 
dozen  lockers  of  third  classmen  in  getting  the  nozzle  out 
of  the  air  port. 

"  Secure,  secure,"  was  piped,  and  the  water  stopped, 
and  Buck  drew  in  the  nozzle  and  started  up  the  hatch. 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP          123 

Just  in  time !  The  flooded  upper  classmen  began  to  real- 
ize what  had  happened.  Buck  had  never  heard  such  lan- 
guage from  "  gentlemen."  Some  of  them  swore  who  had 
never  sworn  before.  Buck  dragged  the  hose  aft,  feeling 
that  pride  and  zest  of  having  accomplished  something 
unaided. 

"  We  got  the  first  stream,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  Ander- 
son with  pride  as  Buck  came  up. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Buck ;  "  ours  was  the  only  stream 
there.  I  hated  to  wet  so  many  things,  but  the  safety  of 
the  ship  had  to  be  considered  first."  Buck  shook  his  head 
in  the  self-complacent  thought  that  he  had  spared  nothing 
in  the  great  cause. 

Anderson  dropped  his  work  of  unrigging  the  pump 
and  stood  up  in  amazement.  All  the  other  maintopmen 
did  the  same. 

"  What !  Mr.  Jones,  do  you  mean  to  say  that  all  that 
water  went  into  the  forehold  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Buck,  "  and  in  the  storerooms 
alongside.  That's  where  the  fire  was  reported." 

He  noticed  the  amazement  on  all  faces,  and  added 
with  a  tone  of  half  defiance,  "  Casey  himself  told  me  so." 

"  May  the  Lord  have  mercy  on  us  when  the  first  lieu- 
tenant finds  it  out,  as  he  must,"  and  Anderson  gasped 
at  the  thought. 

"  He  already  knows  about  it,"  answered  Buck.  "  That 
crazy  man  down  there  jumped  up  and  ran  like  a  March 
hare  and  told  him  about  it." 

"  The  Jack  o'  the  Dust,"  said  a  dozen  voices. 

The  solemnity  and  tragedy  of  the  situation  gave  way 
to  peals  of  laughter.  Even  Anderson  broke  out  laughing. 

"  I'd  have  given  a  month's  pay  to  see  him.  I'm  going 
down  to  see  him  now." 

Buck  slipped  off  forward  to  confer  with  Casey.    As  he 


124  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

passed  the  fore  hatch  he  heard  a  tumult  of  voices — an  in- 
dignation meeting. 

"  Every  stitch  I've  got  is  drenched." 

"  My  mattress  is  soaked." 

"  I'll  not  have  a  collar  or  a  cuff  to  go  ashore  in." 

"  The  young  idiot  might  have  known  it  was  Friday 
night,  the  night  for  fire  quarters." 

"  Such  nerve !  Not  the  slightest  concern  when  his 
stream  struck  me  full  in  the  face  and  filled  my  hammock." 

"  He's  getting  entirely  too  fresh.  He's  picked  up  a 
few  things  on  the  forecastle,  and  he  rushes  ahead  as  though 
he  knew  it  all.  I'll  bring  him  to  his  senses." 

Buck  recognized  the  last  voice  as  that  of  Stratford. 

As  he  went  on  to  the  forecastle,  he  stopped,  for  in  the 
starlight  he  recognized  Kelly  convulsed  with  laughter. 
First  he'd  stand  up  and  begin  to  tell  Casey  about  it ;  then 
he'd  become  overpowered  and  bend  over  double,  and  then 
rise  and  try  again. 

"  I've  just  been  down  there,  Casey,  and  such  a  sight  I 
It's  worth  my  thirty  years  at  sea.  I  saw  hard-tack  floating 
around  and  flour  barrels  and  salthorse  and  small  stores." 
Kelly  broke  down  again  and  held  both  his  sides  to  keep 
them  from  bursting.  "  The  Jack  o'  the  Dust  is  dancing 
a  jig,"  he  continued,  as  soon  as  he  could  get  his  breath. 
"  The  ship's  yeoman  is  there,  paralyzed,  and  the  Paymas- 
ter's yeoman.  They  are  all  waiting  in  suspense  for  the 
first  lieutenant  to  come." 

"  I  bet  he  doesn't  come,"  put  in  Casey.  "  I  know 
Dott ;  have  known  him  since  he  was  a  cadet ;  went  with  him 
on  his  first  cruise.  He's  conscientious  about  government 
property,  but  he's  got  enough  sense  to  understand." 

At  that  point  the  officer  of  the  deck  called  out :  "  Boat- 
swain's mate,  call  one  hand  from  each  part  of  the  ship 
to  man  the  bilge  pump !  " 


BUCK  LEARNS  SEAMANSHIP  125 

As  Casey  piped  the  call,  Buck  slipped  away  and  de- 
cided to  spend  the  balance  of  the  watch  back  at  the  after- 
guard, as  far  away  from  the  scene  as  possible,  to  think  it 
all  out. 

Casey  was  right  about  the  first  lieutenant.  At  that 
moment  Dott  was  in  the  wardroom  among  the  officers,  all 
convulsed  with  laughter.  The  Jack  o'  the  Dust  had  just 
left  after  reporting  the  extent  of  the  damage.  As  he  went 
on  in  a  tragic  voice  and  wild  manner,  one  officer  after  an- 
other had  turned  out  and  they  all  stood  around  in  their 
pyjamas  enjoying  the  scene. 

Dott  went  up  to  report  the  matter  to  the  Captain. 

"  I  regret  to  report,  sir,  that  two  or  three  thousand 
dollars'  worth  of  damage  has  been  done  to  government 
stores  during  fire  drill.  At  five  bells  I  sounded  the  alarm 
for  fire  in  the  forehold.  One  of  the  new  cadets  thinking 
it  was  a  real  fire  carried  a  hose  down  and  flooded  every- 
thing before  anyone  knew  about  it.  It  is  most  regrettable, 
but  was  unavoidable,  and  was  due  to  the  young  man's 
quickness  and  efficiency.  They  say  he  was  down  with  the 
hose  before  the  alarm  had  ceased.  A  real  fire  would  have 
been  extinguished  before  it  could  have  spread  to  the  hatch 
or  approached  the  forward  magazine.  It  is  the  forehold 
that  I  am  really  afraid  of  in  case  of  fire.  If  you  approve, 
sir,  I  will  call  a  board  of  survey  in  the  morning,  and  con- 
demn the  articles  as  injured  in  unavoidable  accident." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Mr.  Dott.  But  what  is  the  cadet's 
name  ?  "  the  Captain  asked  as  Dott  was  leaving. 

"  It  was  Jones,  B.  P." 

Carrington  smiled  a  long  smile  when  Dott  was  gone. 

"  Buck  Jones  again,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  He'll  make 
a  great  officer,  if  he  doesn't  get  his  neck  broken  before- 
hand." 

Buck  was  sitting  near  the  taffrail,  doubled  up  in  the 


126  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

coil  of  the  spanker  sheet,  leaning  on  his  elbow,  trying  to 
think  it  all  out. 

"  How  could  I  tell  it  wasn't  a  real  fire  at  this  time  of 
the  night  ?  I  didn't  think  about  its  being  Friday." 

He  heard  the  bilge  pump  working  and  the  gurgle  of 
the  water  as  it  went  overboard  with  each  stroke. 

Harry  Billerson  pretended  to  be  passing  by. 

"  Hello,  Jones !  I  thought  you  usually  held  out  on  the 
forecastle.  You  are  back  here  now,  I  suppose,  listening 
to  the  music  of  the  bilge  water.  I  hear  you  have  a  per- 
sonal interest  in  that  water  going  over  the  side." 

Buck  made  no  reply. 

"  Billerson  scores  this  time,  sure,  but  I'll  get  my 
inning." 

Buck  went  all  over  the  facts  again,  and  definitely  con- 
cluded :  "  It's  not  my  fault.  I  tried  to  do  my  part.  It's 
bad,  but  I'll  not  worry  any  more."  He  got  up  and  began 
to  take  an  interest  in  the  lights.  The  lookouts  had  re- 
cently reported  the  Thimble  Shoal  light  and  the  lights 
of  the  Capes.  Buck  turned  and  in  the  dim  light  recog- 
nized Dott,  evidently  looking  for  some  one. 

"  He's  after  me."  Buck  braced  himself  and  resolved 
to  stand  his  ground  and  say  nothing,  come  what  may. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  I've  come  to  compliment  you  upon  your 
alertness  and  efficiency  in  the  fire  drill.  You  deserve 
great  credit.  The  Captain  agrees  with  me." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  sir,  and  thoughtful." 

As  Dott  left,  Buck  meditated. 

"  He  thought  I'd  be  worrying.  He  didn't  wait  till 
morning.  They  call  Dott  a  '  stinker',"  he  continued, 
"  but  I  know  he's  a  fine  man.  I'll  keep  on  thinking  so ; 
I  don't  care  how  many  demerits  he  gives  me." 


CHAPTER   X 


BUCK    GETS    HIS    FIRST    TASTE    OF    THE    SEA 


WHEX  his  watch  was  relieved,  Buck  went  down 
the  after  hatch  to  his  hammock  and  fell  asleep 
instantly.  He  had  not  heard  the  noise  when 
the  anchor  was  let  go  in  the  morning  watch,  nor  had  he 
heard  the  noise  of  hoisting  the  damaged  things  out  of  the 
forehold.  When  he  reached  the  deck  with  his  hammock 
he  saw  they  had  reached  Fortress  Monroe.  There  was  the 
fort,  the  first  he  had  ever  seen,  bristling  with  guns.  In 
imagination  he  pictured  the  ship  engaging  it.  They  would 
certainly  have  the  advantage,  he  thought. 

He  saw  Casey  busy  with  boat  gear. 

"  You  think  we  shall  go  to  sea  soon  ?  "  he  asked  the 
old  man. 

"  Probably  before  noon,  if  the  captain  wishes  to  get 
out  on  this  land  breeze." 

"  Won't  they  let  us  go  ashore  ?  " 

Casey  saw  the  look  of  disappointment,  and  said  : 

"  You'll  probably  have  plenty  of  time  to  see  the  fort 
when  we  come  back  in  August." 

"  That's  the  old  Hygeia  Hotel,"  Casey  went  on,  "  and 
that's  the  Rip  Raps.  And  over  across  there  is  where  the 
English  settlers  first  landed  when  they  settled  at  James- 
town." 

Buck  was  thrilled,  but  he  had  to  hurry  down  to  wash 
up  in  time  for  breakfast.  He  was  among  the  last  in  the 

127 


128  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

washroom  and  he  noticed  Stratford  still  there,  evidently 
waiting  for  something.  Buck  had  finished  brushing  his 
teeth  and  was  starting  to  leave. 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  said  Stratford  sternly,  "  I  wish  to  see 
you  in  the  washroom  after  breakfast." 

"  Very  well,  sir,  I'll  be  here." 

As  he  went  on  to  breakfast  he  wondered  what  Strat- 
ford wanted. 

"  He's  too  small  for  me  to  fight,"  he  repeated  to  him- 
self. 

At  the  breakfast  table  the  talk  was  all  about  going 
ashore  in  the  afternoon.  Buck  said  nothing.  One  of  the 
first  classmen  came  down  from  the  deck  late  and  reported 
that  the  Phlox  had  been  sighted  coming  down  the  bay. 
All  was  excitement. 

"  She  has  mail,"  a  number  exclaimed. 

"  She  has  fresh  provisions  and  ice,"  another  said. 

"  She  has  laundry.  Now  I  can  get  fresh  clothes  to  go 
ashore  in,"  said  a  third  classman,  as  he  frowned  signifi- 
cantly at  Buck. 

They  began  to  cut  their  meal  short  and  hurry  on  deck 
to  get  a  sight  of  the  side-wheeler,  the  glad  messenger  from 
the  Academy. 

Buck  looked  longingly  at  the  others  as  they  went  up 
the  hatch,  and  he  went  into  the  washroom.  Stratford  came 
in  in  a  moment. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  have  become  con- 
foundedly gaily  of  late." 

Buck  made  no  reply. 

"  You  rush  ahead  as  though  you  owned  the  ship,  and 
knew  it  all." 

Buck  still  remained  silent. 

"  I'll  test  him,"  said  Stratford  to  himself. 

"  What  is  the  color  of  this  beam,  Mr.  Jones  2  " 


BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE  SEA       129 

"  It  is  white,  sir." 

"  /  say  it  is  black.    Now  what  color  is  it  ?  " 

"  White,  sir." 

Stratford  stamped  his  foot  in  rage. 

"  Don't  you  know  that  when  an  upper  classman  says  a 
thing  is  so,  it  makes  it  so  for  a  plebe.  I  tell  you  that  beam 
is  black.  Now  what  color  is  it  ?  " 

Buck  did  not  wish  to  be  gaily,  but  Stratford  had  struck 
the  wrong  test  for  him.  He  spoke  respectfully,  but  firmly. 

"  It  is  still  white,  sir." 

"  Do  you  want  to  fight  to  make  it  black  ?  " 

"  No,  Mr.  Stratford,  I  don't  care  to  fight ;  besides, 
after  the  fight,  it  would  still  be  white." 

Stratford  was  furious,  but  Buck  was  unperturbed. 

"  Stand  on  your  head  there." 

Buck  was  good  at  standing  on  his  head.  He  had  known 
how  to  do  it  since  very  young  when  the  circus  had  once 
passed  through  Sumter.  He  obeyed  willingly,  putting  his 
watch  cap  under  his  head  to  cushion  the  hard  deck.  In 
a  little  while  Stratford  said : 

"  That  will  do,"  and  Buck  stood  up  again.  "  Now 
what  color  is  the  beam  ?  " 

"  It  is  still  white,  sir." 

"  On  your  head  again." 

Buck  obeyed.  He  remained  what  seemed  a  long  time. 
He  had  begun  to  question  whether  it  was  right  to  obey 
any  longer,  as  he  felt  the  blood  coming  to  his  head.  For- 
tunately at  that  juncture  Stratford  said : 

"  That  will  do." 

Buck  stood  up  red  in  the  face. 

"  Now  what  is  the  color  ?  " 

"  It  is  still  white,  sir." 

Buck  spoke  with  more  emphasis  this  time.  Stratford's 
exasperation  rose. 


130  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Take  a  bite  of  this  soap." 

Buck  wondered  whether  he  ought  to  obey.  He  looked 
at  the  soap.  People  use  various  cleansing  preparations 
on  their  teeth.  Maybe  it's  all  right.  He  took  a  bite  but 
spit  it  out  with  a  grimace,  and  rushed  to  the  scuttlebutt  to 
rinse  his  mouth. 

"  What  is  the  color  now  ?  " 

"  It  is  still  white." 

"  Take  another  bite." 

"  I  will  not,  sir.     The  stuff  must  be  poisonous." 

Stratford  did  not  insist.  He  was  a  very  decent  fel- 
low at  heart,  but  his  wrath  about  the  color  of  the  beam 
only  rose  higher. 

"  Look  in  locker  15,  and  bring  that  hammock  lashing." 

Buck  obeyed.  As  he  got  out  the  lashing  he  found  it 
wet,  and  everything  else  in  the  locker  was  wet.  He  felt 
very  guilty.  When  he  got  back  to  the  washroom  Stratford 
ordered : 

"  Take  one  end  and  put  a  timber  hitch  and  half  turn 
around  that  stanchion." 

Buck  obeyed. 

"  How  did  you  learn  to  pass  a  timber  hitch  and  half 
turn?  I'll  swear  you'll  think  more  than  ever  that  you 
know  everything." 

"  Casey  showed  me,  sir." 

"  Now  take  the  other  end  and  haul  away." 

Buck  began  to  haul. 

"  Put  your  whole  weight  on  it." 

Buck  straightened  his  back  and  hauled  with  all  his 
might. 

"  Keep  at  it." 

The  rope  didn't  budge. 

"  What  is  the  color  now  ?  " 

"  It  is  still  white,  sir." 


BUCK   GETS  HIS   FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE   SEA       131 

"  Pull  away.    Don't  you  shirk  there." 

At  this  juncture  they  heard  the  Phlox  whistle  to  salute 
the  Constellation.  Everybody  was  on  deck.  Buck  looked 
at  Stratford. 

"  You  needn't  look  at  me.  You'll  haul  there  till  you 
learn  what  the  color  is." 

They  heard  exchanges  of  question  and  answer  between 
the  ship  and  the  Phlox.  Stratford  couldn't  stand  it  any 
longer. 

"  I'm  going  on  deck,  but  I  order  you  to  remain  and 
haul  till  I  return.  Mind  you,  don't  you  shirk  while  I  am 
gone." 

It  was  a  hard  test.  Buck  heard  the  shouts  of  those  on 
deck.  Later  he  heard  the  mail  being  distributed,  and 
heard  his  own  name  called  out  twice.  He  saw  through 
the  lattice  the  happy  cadets  going  off  to  corners  to 
read  their  letters  by  themselves.  He  felt  his  hands  get- 
ting sore.  The  strands  of  the  manila  rope  were  pressing 
into  the  flesh.  He  compressed  his  jaws  and  pulled 
away. 

In  his  exuberance  at  getting  his  laundry  and  mail 
Stratford  had  forgotten  about  Buck.  Suddenly  he  remem- 
bered. His  conscience  hurt  him. 

"  I  wonder  if  he  has  been  fool  enough  to  remain  there 
all  this  time."  He  hurried  to  the  washroom  to  find  Buck 
still  pulling  away. 

"  What  is  the  color  now,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  It  is  still  white,  sir,"  answered  Buck  between  his 
teeth. 

The  happiness  from  the  arrival  of  the  Phlox  and  the 
reading  of  letters  from  home  must  have  softened  Strat- 
ford, or  must  have  brought  him  back  to  his  normal  state, 
for  he  said: 

"  That  will  do,  Mr.  Jones.     Unbend  the  lashing." 


132  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  was  loosing  the  half  turn  when  Stratford  said, 
speaking  slowly,  with  visible  effort : 

"  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion,  Mr.  Jones,  that  you 
were  right  after  all  about  the  color  of  the  beam.  In  fact, 
I  think  I  have  been  pretty  mean." 

"  Not  at  all,  sir.  I  realize  how  you  felt,"  answered 
Buck,  and  then  he  added  slowly :  "  Mr.  Stratford,  I  am 
very  sorry  that  I  wet  your  things." 

"  I  understand  perfectly  how  it  came  about.  It's  only 
a  trifle.  After  quarters  I'll  send  them  up  on  the  fore- 
castle to  dry." 

They  left  the  washroom  together,  the  best  of 
friends. 

Buck  was  delightedly  absorbed  in  his  letters.  There 
were  two  from  his  mother,  one  from  his  father,  one  from 
Hugh,  and  several  from  his  friends.  He  was  just  read- 
ing his  mother's  letters  over  a  second  time  when  the  mate 
of  the  deck  called  out  at  the  top  of  his  lungs :  "  Hear, 
there !  The  mail  will  go  ashore  in  thirty  minutes."  Con- 
sternation spread  over  the  deck. 

"  That  means  we  are  going  to  sea  at  once,"  said  a 
dozen  cadets,  as  they  hurried  to  get  writing  materials, 
crestfallen  at  the  idea  of  not  getting  ashore. 

"  It's  a  shame,"  grumbled  Pikeman. 

Buck  dashed  off  a  letter  to  his  mother : 

"  Word  has  suddenly  been  passed  that  the  mail  closes  in 
a  few  minutes.  We  put  to  sea  at  once.  The  letters  were 
great.  You  can't  imagine  what  it  means  to  get  letters 
after  you  have  been  out  on  a  ship.  Please  write  more 
yourself  and  tell  everybody  to  write.  My  friend  Casey 
thinks  we  shall  put  in  around  Martha's  Vineyard  for  tar- 
get practice,  and  then  go  to  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire, 
but  the  safest  thing  is  to  direct  letters  to  the  Academy  and 
they  will  be  forwarded.  Tell  papa  it  is  great.  They  work 


BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE  SEA       133 

us  hard,  but  they  are  square.  The  officers  are  all  right, 
and  the  upper  classmen  are  all  right." 

Buck  brought  his  letter  to  a  close  and  handed  it  to 
the  mail  orderly  just  as  he  was  going  over  the  side. 

"  All  hands,  up  anchor !  " 

In  thirty  minutes  the  Phlox  had  shoved  off,  the  anchor 
was  up,  and  the  ship  was  standing  out  with  the  breeze  on 
the  quarter.  She  passed  the  Capes  about  noon  on  schedule 
time,  and  was  well  outside  when  the  land  breeze  died  out 
about  three  o'clock. 

Everything  was  activity  on  the  Constellation  as  she 
stood  out,  getting  ready  for  sea.  Buck  had  just  come  on 
deck  after  helping  his  crew  secure  their  gun  for  sea. 
The  bay  was  calm  as  he  gazed  out  at  the  Capes  on  the 
starboard  bow,  when  apparently  without  cause  the  ship 
began  to  roll,  a  long  slow  roll  to  port,  then  a  long  slow 
roll  to  starboard. 

"  What's  the  matter  with  the  ship,  Casey  ?  "  he  asked 
in  astonishment.  "  She  hasn't  done  this  way  before." 

"  It's  nothing  but  the  sea  swell,  that's  come  ahead 
through  the  Capes  to  say  '  Howdy  do '  and  welcome  us  in 
advance." 

Buck  looked  over  the  side  and  saw  long  wave  forms 
come  up  and  pass  under  the  ship  from  the  direction  of  the 
Capes,  though  the  breeze  was  blowing  in  almost  the  oppo- 
site direction.  The  ship  had  scorned  the  waves  raised  in 
the  bay,  though  to  Buck  they  seemed  boisterous  enough  at 
times. 

"  But  she  bows  when  she's  approaching  the  great  sea," 
Buck  murmured  as  the  ship  rolled  again. 

"  The  swell  seems  a  little  long,"  remarked  Casey. 
"  Maybe  something  is  going  on  out  around  the  Gulf 
Stream." 


134  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Upon  inquiry  from  Buck,  he  explained  how  a  heavy 
swell  sometimes  goes  far  ahead  of  a  storm. 

"  No  one  can  tell  just  why,  but  I  have  seen  it  a  hun- 
dred times.  Maybe  the  air  presses  down  harder." 

"  How  wonderful !  "  thought  Buck,  as  he  turned  from 
looking  at  the  tall  lighthouse  and  white  sands  of  Cape 
Henry,  and  gazed  with  a  far-away  look  upon  the  limitless, 
mysterious  ocean  horizon  beyond.  He  looked  closely  at 
the  lightship,  as  Casey  explained  its  advantage  and  use 
where  a  lighthouse  would  be  impossible.  But  Buck's 
thoughts  continually  turned  to  the  sea.  It  seemed  to  cast 
a  hypnotic  spell  over  him.  He  had  thought  about  it  and 
dreamed  about  it,  and  had  resolved  to  cast  his  lot  upon  it. 
There  it  was.  In  imagination  he  pictured  the  vast  stretch 
of  the  Atlantic  to  the  eastward  with  Europe  and  Africa 
beyond,  and  to  the  southward  where  it  circles  the  conti- 
nents and  joins  with  the  other  oceans  to  wrap  up  all  the 
land  surface  of  the  earth.  In  vague  outline  he  saw  the 
nations  meeting,  and  he  pictured  the  heroic  role  that  he 
felt  America  is  to  play.  He  was  still  dreaming  when  eight 
bells  struck.  His  watch  went  below,  but  he  remained  on 
deck.  The  wind  had  fallen  almost  to  a  calm,  and  me  sails 
were  flapping  idly  back  and  forth  as  the  ship  rolled  with 
the  ground  swell.  Buck  looked  puzzled  and  rather  dis- 
appointed. 

"  Casey,  it  doesn't  look  blue  to  me.     It's  green." 

"  Don't  worry,  Mr.  Jones ;  the  sea  won't  show  its  real 
color  to  the  land.  We  are  still  on  soundings.  Wait  till 
we  get  out  where  the  depth  runs  to  thousands  of  fathoms ; 
you'll  find  it  blue,  all  right." 

Buck  was  much  relieved  and  was  impatient  to  push  on. 

"  Do  you  think  it  will  be  calm  very  long  ?  "  he  asked 
anxiously. 

Casey  suppressed  a  smile. 


BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE   SEA       135 

"  I'm  thinking  the  wind  will  come  soon  enough  for 
most  of  the  new  cadets."  He  looked  out  toward  the  north- 
east and  then  toward  the  west.  "  That  land  breeze  held 
too  long.  See  those  clouds  shredded  out  up  there  ? " 
Casey  pointed.  "  That  comes  from  wind,  and  I  can  see 
already  we're  going  to  have  a  windy  sunset.  I'll  go  and 
take  a  look  at  the  glass." 

"  May  I  go  with  you  ? "  Buck  asked  eagerly,  and 
they  went  aft  together  and  down  on  the  gun  deck  to  the 
barometer.  Casey  looked  at  it  closely  and  showed  Buck 
how  to  read  it. 

"  Twenty-nine  eighty-four  now.  It  was  twenty-nine 
ninety  at  eight  bells  this  morning.  It  is  falling,  Mr.  Jones. 
A  nor'easter  is  running  far  out  at  sea.  The  outskirts  may 
reach  us  at  any  time.  I  think  the  Captain  will  stand  out 
on  the  port  tack  to  gain  sea  room.  As  we  get  out  we'll 
get  more  of  the  gale." 

Buck  was  all  excitement.  "  Do  you  mean  a  storm  ? 
Are  we  going  to  have  a  storm  ? " 

Casey  nodded. 

A  few  minutes  before  Buck's  watch  was  piped  to 
supper,  Casey  pointed  out  toward  the  horizon  to  the  north- 
east: 

"  There  it  comes,  Mr.  Jones." 

Buck  saw  the  glassy  surface  darkened  with  ripples. 
A  gentle  breeze  came  up.  The  sails  filled  and  the  ship 
stood  straight  out  to  sea  on  the  port  tack. 

Buck  hurried  through  his  supper  and  came  on  deck, 
to  be  disappointed  in  finding  still  only  a  gentle  breeze. 
But  the  sunset  was  weird  and  unnatural. 

Hammocks  were  piped  as  the  sun  disappeared.  All 
hands  uncovered  and  the  Chaplain  offered  up  thanks. 
Buck  had  never  felt  so  close  to  nature  and  to  nature's 
God.  The  sky  had  a  strange,  brassy  brightness,  and  frag- 


136  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

mentary  low  clouds  began  to  scud  overhead,  while  the  high 
clouds  still  moved  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  land  had 
disappeared  and  the  horizon  drew  its  circle  complete.  The 
ship  seemed  to  sigh  in  a  monotone  as  it  rolled  to  the  long 
sea  swell.  All  heads  were  bowed  in  silence.  The  only 
sound  made  by  man  was  the  Chaplain's  voice,  as  he  be- 
sought the  guidance  and  protection  of  the  Almighty  dur- 
ing the  perils  of  the  night. 

"  The  sea  is  Thine,"  he  went  on.  "  Thou  hast  given 
it  its  bounds.  And  we  are  Thine,  and  we  seek  to  do  Thy 
will,  and  fulfill  well  our  part  of  Thy  great  purposes  upon 
the  earth." 

Strange  depths  were  stirred  in  Buck's  heart,  a  con- 
ception of  things  primordial. 

When  he  came  on  deck  for  the  evening  watch  he  found 
Casey  and  Kelly  spinning  yarns  on  the  forecastle.  Kelly 
was  just  telling  how  in  the  previous  cruise  he  had  played 
a  joke  on  a  green  landsman  from  the  West  who  had  just 
enlisted : 

"  A  gale  was  coming  up,  like  it  is  now,  only  faster,  and 
the  landsman  seemed  much  perturbed.  I  asked  him  in  a 
friendly  way  if  he  had  found  his  sea  legs.  He  announced 
eagerly,  '  No,  tell  me  where  they  are  stored.'  I  liked  the 
lad,  but  for  my  life  I  couldn't  resist  the  temptation,  and 
I  had  him  looking  all  over  the  ship.  Finally  I  sent  him 
to  the  master-at-arms,  and  they  had  a  fight  over  his  sea 
legs." 

Buck  thought  it  a  great  joke.  Then  an  inspiration 
came  over  him.  "  Billerson  is  my  man.  I'll  get  even 
with  him  for  last  night."  Buck  racked  his  brains  work- 
ing out  the  details. 

He  lounged  around  the  afterguard,  Billerson's  part 
of  the  ship,  and  began  telling  him  what  Casey  had  said 
about  a  gale  approaching.  Billerson  was  very  eager  and 


BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE   SEA       137 

showed  signs  of  uneasiness.  Buck  went  on  to  tell  about 
the  land  breeze,  the  windy  sunset,  the  falling  barometer. 
At  this  juncture  the  light  sails  were  taken  in.  When 
Buck  got  down  from  furling  the  main  royal  he  went  back 
and  began  to  work  on  Billerson's  feelings  again. 

"  The  ship  is  stanch,  I  think,  and  we  have  good  offi- 
cers, but  there  is  one  thing  that  worries  me.  I  haven't  got 
my  sea  legs  yet." 

Buck  spoke  solemnly  and  never  cracked  a  smile. 

"  Nor  have  I,"  said  Billerson  as  his  uneasiness  grew. 

At  that  juncture  a  pair  of  unusually  large  waves 
passed,  and  the  ship  rolled  so  that  Buck  and  Billerson 
had  to  seize  the  afterguard  skylight  on  which  they  were 
sitting. 

"  I  wonder  where  the  sea  legs  are  stored  ?  "  asked  Biller- 
son with  determination. 

"  I  doubt  whether  they  have  been  distributed  yet. 
You  might  look  for  yours  in  the  afterguard  chest." 

Billerson  went  across  the  deck  to  the  chest  and  pulled 
out  everything. 

"  They  are  not  here." 

"  Suppose  you  look  in  the  mizzentop  chest." 

Billerson  climbed  up  to  the  mizzentop,  only  to  be 
disappointed. 

"  They  are  not  there,  either." 

"  This  is  bad,"  said  Buck  thoughtfully.  "  They  prob- 
ably are  still  below.  Let's  go  down  and  find  them.  But 
I'm  liable  to  be  put  on  lookout  at  four  bells.  I'd  better 
not  go.  Suppose  you  go  on.  Look  through  the  forehold 
and  ask  the  Jack  o'  the  Dust." 

Billerson  was  off. 

"  O  Billerson !  "  called  Buck,  "  you'd  better  get  per- 
mission from  the  officer  of  the  deck." 

Billerson  heeded.  He  went  up  and  saluted  the  officer 
10 


138  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

of  the  deck.  "  May  I  have  permission  to  go  below  for 
a  few  minutes  ?  " 

"  Is  the  matter  important  ?  " 

"  Very   important,   sir." 

"  Very  well." 

Billerson  went  down,  got  a  candle  on  the  berth  deck, 
went  down  into  the  forehold  and  looked  high  and  low. 
He  worked  away,  turning  the  gear  over,  but  saw  nothing 
that  looked  as  though  they  might  be  sea  legs.  The  Jack 
o'  the  Dust  became  very  uneasy  as  he  watched  Billerson 
in  his  search.  Since  Buck's  appearance  with  the  hose  the 
sight  of  a  cadet  in  the  forehold  filled  him  with  terror. 
Finally  he  could  restrain  himself  no  longer. 

"  What  are  you  looking  for,  sir  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I'm  looking  for  the  sea  legs.  Are  they  stored  down 
here?" 

"  No,  sir.  They  are  not  stored  down  here,  and  I  hope 
you  won't  mix  up  any  more  of  the  gear." 

Billerson  left,  discussing  to  himself  whether  he  would 
report  the  Jack  o'  the  Dust  for  insolence.  The  Jack  o' 
the  Dust,  as  he  looked  over  the  gear  all  mixed  up,  finally 
decided  to  report  the  matter  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  He's  probably  turned  in,  but  I'll  report  it  all  the 
same.  These  cadets  will  be  the  death  o'  me." 

He  went  up  and  knocked  on  the  stateroom  door.  Dott 
was  asleep,  but  finally  roused  up. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  he  demanded  savagely. 

The  Jack  o'  the  Dust  began  to  tremble  and  regret 
that  he  hadn't  waited  till  next  day. 

"  One  of  the  midshipmen  has  been  in  the  forehold 
mixing  up  all  the  gear." 

"  What  was  he  after  ?  " 

"  Looking  for  sea  legs,  sir." 

Dott  was  furious. 


BUCK   GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE   SEA       139 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  waking  me  up  at  this  time  of 
the  might  ?  Go  back  and  don't  you  ever  come  to  me  again 
for  such  nonsense." 

After  leaving  the  forehold  Billerson  was  much  dis- 
couraged and  went  back  to  the  afterguard  to  confer  with 
Buck. 

"  I  can't  find  them  anywhere." 

"  I  don't  know  what  we  can  do,"  said  Buck,  as  he  put 
his  hand  on  his  forehead  as  in  deep  meditation.  Finally 
he  raised  his  head. 

"  I'll  tell  you,"  he  said,  as  if  an  inspiration  had  come. 
"  The  master-at-arms  may  know  where  they  are.  I  think 
he  swings  up  forward  on  the  gun  deck.  It's  a  great 
nuisance,  but  the  sea  is  evidently  rising  all  the  time.  Per- 
haps you  had  better  go  down  and  ask  him  about  them. 
Don't  let  him  put  you  off.  You  know  they  call  him 
Jimmy  Legs.  He  looks  out  for  sea  legs." 

Billerson  asked  for  permission  to  go  below. 

"  You've  just  been  below,  sir,"  said  the  officer  of  the 
deck,  in  refusal. 

Billerson  persisted. 

"  It's  very  important,  sir." 

The  pleading  in  his  voice  won.  Permission  was 
granted.  He  went  forward  and  asked  Kelly  if  he  knew 
which  was  the  hammock  of  the  master-at-arms. 

"  Down  there  on  the  port  side,  outboard."  And  Biller- 
son went  down. 

Kelly  hurried  over  and  nudged  Casey. 

"  Come  up  to  the  forecastle  hatch.  I  think  we'll  have 
some  fun."  They  stood  at  the  hatch  and  listened. 

"  Is  this  the  master-at-arms  ?  "  they  heard. 

"  No,  this  is  not  the  master-at-arms." 

A  moment  later  the  same  question : 

"  Is  this  the  master-at-arms  ?  " 


140  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  No,  I'm  not  Jimmy  Legs." 

A  little  later  the  same  thing. 

"  No,  I  am  not,  and  who  in  thunder  are  you,  waking 
me  up  this  way  ?  " 

Finally,  after  rousing  a  half  dozen  others,  Billerson 
found  the  master-at-arms. 

"  Yes,  I'm  the  master-at-arms.    What  do  you  want  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  get  my  sea  legs." 

Kelly  nudged  Casey. 

"  It's  our  friend,  Mr.  Jones's  doing,  I'll  bet  this  pipe." 

The  master-at-arms  lost  his  temper  at  once. 

"  Your  sea  legs!    I  have  nothing  to  do  with  sea  legs." 

"  You  needn't  try  to  put  me  off  like  that.  Your  very 
name  is  Jimmy  Legs." 

Kelly  slipped  down  the  hatch  to  be  at  hand  to  rescue 
Billerson  if  necessary,  and  the  men  that  had  been  roused 
rose  in  their  hammocks. 

The  master-at-arms  was  really  a  good  man  and  usually 
exercised  self-control,  but  the  term  of  reproach  "  Jimmy 
Legs  "  was  the  one  thing  that  he  could  not  stand.  He 
jumped  out  of  his  hammock  in  a  rage,  and  would  have 
struck  Billerson,  but  recognized  that  he  was  a  cadet. 

"  I'll  report  you  to  the  first  lieutenant." 

"  And  I'll  report  you,"  said  Billerson. 

The  two  stood  glaring  at  each  other  in  defiance.  The 
master-at-arms  went  off  without  taking  time  to  dress  and 
knocked  on  the  door  of  the  first  lieutenant's  cabin. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Dott  sharply. 

"  I  wish  to  report  Mr.  Billerson." 

"What  for?" 

"  For  calling  me  '  Jimmy  Legs.' '  This  seemed  an 
inadequate  reason,  and  he  added :  "  He's  been  up  forward 
and  turned  me  out  to  look  for  his  sea  legs." 

The  master-at-arms  was  always  close  to  the  first  lieu- 


BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE   SEA       141 

tenant.  It  was  his  compensation  for  being  hated  by  the 
men  for  his  office  of  executing  the  orders  for  punishment. 
But  Dott's  patience  was  sorely  tried. 

"  I'm  surprised  at  you,  Phillips.  The  idea  of  your 
coming  to  me  in  the  middle  of  the  night  with  such  a  com- 
plaint !  " 

Phillips  went  forward,  utterly  Humiliated.  Kelly  had 
slipped  back  up  the  ladder  when  the  crisis  was  over,  and 
as  Billerson  came  up  he  asked : 

"  Mr.  Billerson,  did  you  find  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  to  no  effect."  And  Billerson  went  aft  to 
report  another  fruitless  effort  to  Buck. 

"  People  are  very  crabbed  when  you  wake  them  up," 
he  remarked. 

Buck  never  smiled  once. 

"  It's  a  shame.  I  know  the  sea  has  risen  since  you  left. 
Did  you  notice  the  flock  of  sea  gulls  stop  following  in  our 
wake  before  sundown  ?  They  realized  that  a  storm  was 
raging  at  sea." 

Silence  followed. 

"  Billerson,  I  know  how  we  could  find  out  about  the 
sea  legs.  The  first  lieutenant  has  to  know  where  every- 
thing on  the  ship  is  stored.  He  could  tell  us." 

Another  silence. 

"  If  I  only  weren't  liable  to  be  put  on  the  lookout !  " 

Another  pause. 

"  I'll  go,"  said  Billerson,  with  the  resolution  of  a  hero 
sounding  in  his  voice. 

As  Billerson  started  down  the  hatch  Kelly  came  up. 

"  I  understand  you  and  Mr.  Billerson  are  trying  to 
find  your  sea  legs." 

"  He's  gone  down  to  see  the  first  lieutenant.  Come 
over  to  the  hatch  and  listen." 

"  I'll  go  and  get  Casey." 


142  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

The  three  listened  as  Billerson  rapped  hesitatingly  on 
the  door.  Finally  they  heard  Dott  ask  impatiently : 

"Who  is  it?" 

"  Cadet  Billerson." 

"  What  do  you  want,  Mr.  Billerson  ?  " 

"  Please,  sir,  will  you  tell  me  where  to  find  my  sea 
legs  ? " 

They  heard  Dott  jump  up  and  open  the  door.  He  was 
a  terrible-looking  man  to  cadets  even  when  dressed  con- 
ventionally. Terror  struck  to  Billerson's  soul  as  Dott  ap- 
peared in  his  pyjamas,  hair  disheveled. 

"  Mr.  Billerson,  what  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  " 

Billerson  wished  that  he  might  sink  through  the  deck. 

"  Nothing,  sir." 

"  What  on  earth  possesses  you  to  come  to  me  at  this 
time  of  the  night  on  such  an  errand  ?  This  is  the  third 
time  I  have  been  disturbed  in  the  last  half  hour  about 
*  sea  legs.' ' 

"  I  didn't  mean  any  harm,  sir,"  Billerson  began  inno- 
cently, "  only  the  storm  is  coming  up,  and  I  am  very  anx- 
ious to  find  my  sea  legs  in  time." 

"  Who  sent  you  to  look  for  your  sea  legs  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Jones.  He  wants  his  also,  and  I  will  take  them 
to  him,  as  he  is  liable  to  be  put  on  lookout  and  can't  come 
down  himself." 

Dott  could  barely  control  his  laughter,  but  he  said 
solemnly : 

"  Mr.  Billerson,  there  are  no  such  things  as  sea  legs. 
Your  own  legs  are  your  sea  legs." 

Billerson  was  dumfounded.  The  blood  began  to  rush 
to  his  cheeks. 

"  Do  you  think  Mr.  Jones  knows  about  it  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt,  and  I  have  these  directions :  You 
thrash  Mr.  Jones  once  for  me,  once  for  the  master-at-arms, 


BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE   SEA       143 

once  for  the  Jack  o'  the  Dust,  and  as  many  times  as  you 
wish  for  yourself." 

"  I'll  do  it,  sir." 

Billerson  clenched  his  fists  and  started  for  the  ladder 
as  Buck  and  Kelly  and  Casey  slipped  forward  splitting 
their  sides  with  laughter.  When  Billerson  went  aft  Buck 
was  not  on  the  afterguard  chest.  There  was  no  further 
doubt.  He  began  peering  into  people's  faces  in  the  dark. 

The  three  culprits  saw  him  as  he  came  up  the  gangway, 
looking. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  it  will  never  do  for  him  to  find  you  now," 
said  Kelly  with  uneasiness.  "  Slip  under  the  topgallant 
forecastle." 

Buck  obeyed.     Billerson  came  up. 

"  Casey,  have  you  seen  Mr.  Jones  around  here  ?  " 

His  voice  quivered  with  rage  in  spite  of  his  effort  at 
concealment. 

"  He  was  up  here  some  time  ago." 

"  I  saw  him  aft  a  few  minutes  ago,"  put  in  Kelly,  as 
Billerson  passed  on  in  his  search. 

Buck  saw  Billerson  first  at  the  breakfast  table  next 
morning.  Without  cracking  a  smile,  he  said  solemnly: 

"  Billerson,  have  you  found  your  sea  legs  yet  ?  " 

Billerson's  anger  began  to  rise  again. 

Buck  continued: 

"  I  rather  think  that  your  sea  legs  were  pumped  over- 
board with  my  water  night  before  last." 

A  smile  began  to  play  around  Billerson's  mouth. 

"  Yes,  I  think  they  were." 

The  two  cadets  became  better  friends  than  ever. 
Whenever  Billerson  would  tell  how  Buck  Jones  put  out 
the  fire  in  the  forehold,  Buck  would  tell  how  Harry  Biller- 
son found  his  sea  legs. 

When  Buck  went  on  deck  after  general  inspection, 


144  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

the  ship  still  carried  all  plain  sail  and  seemed  to  plow 
through  the  water.  Both  sea  and  wind  continued  rising. 
The  pitching  became  heavier  though  the  rolling  was 
not  as  heavy  as  might  be  expected,  so  much  sail  kept  her 
heeled  to  starboard,  but  it  steadied  her.  Now  and  then 
the  bow  would  break  the  top  of  a  wave  and  send  the  spray 
flying  on  the  forecastle. 

"  Lay  down  on  the  gun  deck,  port  watch  of  the  after- 
guard, and  rig  church !  "  piped  the  boatswain's  mate.  The 
little  altar  was  secured  to  a  ring  bolt  amidship,  just  for- 
ward of  the  cabin  bulkhead.  The  little  organ  was  wheeled 
out  and  lashed  securely  to  the  stanchion  abaft  the  ward- 
room hatch.  The  mess  benches  were  taken  down  and 
rigged  athwartship  for  the  men,  chairs  were  brought  out 
on  the  starboard  side  for  the  officers,  and  camp  stools  on 
the  port  side  for  the  cadets.  Prayer  books  and  hymnals 
were  distributed  and  a  big  Bible  placed  on  the  altar.  The 
bell  began  to  strike  slowly. 

"  What  does  that  mean,  Anderson  ?  "  Buck  inquired 
of  the  captain  of  the  maintop. 

"  That's  the  call  to  divine  service." 

Buck  saw  the  chief  quartermaster  hoisting  to  the 
weather  mizzen  yardarm  the  church  pennant,  and  as  it 
broke  loose  at  the  yardarm  and  streamed  out  in  the  wind 
he  saw  a  flag  with  a  large  blue  cross  on  a  white  back- 
ground. 

"  It  is  very  beautiful,"  he  thought,  as  he  watched  the 
quartermaster  bend  on  the  ensign.  The  Nation's  flag  be- 
gan to  go  up  slowly,  very  slowly.  Buck  held  his  breath, 
as  he  saw  it  stop  reverently  just  beneath  the  church 
pennant,  the  glorious  flag  flying  there  proudly,  but  look- 
ing up  in  humility  to  the  flag  of  the  blue  cross  above. 

Casey  had  been  watching  Buck.  In  fact,  he  always 
watched  Buck. 


BUCK  GETS  HIS  FIRST  TASTE  OF  THE   SEA       145 

As  Buck  went  forward  and  started  down  the  hatch, 
he  asked: 

"  Are  you  coming  down  to  church,  Casey  ? " 

"  Not  to-day,  Mr.  Jones." 

Casey  hadn't  been  to  church  for  twenty  years,  but  his 
heart  followed  Buck,  and  he  couldn't  wait  so  long  with- 
out getting  a  sight  of  him,  so  he  went  down  on  the  gun 
deck  and  sat  on  the  chain  bitt  where  he  could  see  Buck. 
From  there  he  watched  him  all  through  the  service. 

"  I  like  the  lad's  religion,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  Whatever  it  may  be,  it's  not  cowardly.  He  holds  his 
head  up  and  looks  straight  out.  Even  when  bowed  in 
prayer  his  eyes  are  still  open." 

To  Buck  it  was  a  wonderful  service,  hymns,  prayers, 
sermon.  At  times  the  ship  would  heel  so  much  that  the 
cadets  had  to  hold  their  camp  stools  to  keep  from  sliding 
to  starboard.  Out  of  the  gun  ports  they  saw  the  sea  sweep- 
ing by,  and  heard  the  swish  and  churning  sound  of  the 
speeding  water  against  the  hull.  Several  times  in  heeling, 
the  wave  crest  came  up  to  the  lee  gun  ports.  It  seemed 
to  Buck  that  the  Infinite  was  all  about  them  and  God 
seemed  present  and  very  close. 


CHAPTER    XI 

BUCK    MASTERS    THE    SEA    AND    A    POKPOISE 

WHEN  Buck  came  on  deck  for  the  next  morn- 
ing's watch,  the  wind  and  sea  were  higher 
than  they  had  been  at  midnight,  though  the 
ship  still  carried  close-reefed  topsails  and  stood  full  and 
by  on  the  starboard  tack.  It  seemed  to  Buck  that  the  ter- 
rific force  of  the  wind  would  tear  the  sails  or  carry  away 
the  masts,  and  the  fierce  waves  struck  the  bow  like  a  bat- 
tering ram  and  kept  the  forecastle  covered  with  water. 
The  fore  hatch  was  already  battened  down. 

"  Casey,  it's  rougher,  don't  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Jones,  and  I'm  thinking  you'll  see  some 
more  seamanship  before  the  watch  is  over." 

Day  broke  about  an  hour  later  than  usual,  on  account 
of  the  heavy  clouds  that  swept  overhead,  so  low  that  they 
seemed  almost  to  touch  the  masts.  About  six  bells  the 
hatches  were  battened  down  aft,  and  Buck  did  see  some 
good  seamanship  when  the  fore  and  mizzen  topsails  were 
furled  and  the  ship  hove  to,  under  fore  storm  staysail, 
close-reefed  main  topsail,  and  mizzen  storm  sail.  Casey 
watched  Buck  closely  to  see  if  he  would  give  way  and 
become  seasick. 

All  the  other  cadets  were  lying  around  the  railing,  on 
the  gratings.  Some  of  them  seemed  deathly  ill.  But 
Buck  put  on  his  rubber  boots  and  rain  clothes  and  sou'- 

146 


BUCK  MASTERS  THE   SEA   AND   A   PORPOISE       147 

wester,  and  went  up  and  down  examining  the  masts.  This 
was  the  first  part  of  the  programme  he  laid  out  to  gain 
"  mastery." 

Deep  joy  went  through  Casey's  heart  as  he  saw  Buck 
come  up  on  the  topgallant  forecastle  to  examine  the  head 
booms,  in  spite  of  the  heavy  pitching  and  the  seas  that 
dashed  over.  When  the  heavy  waves  struck,  Buck  would 
spread  his  legs,  hold  on  to  the  guy  and  turn  full  face  to 
the  spray.  Casey  was  a  little  uneasy.  He  saw  two  mon- 
arch waves  descending  and  quickly  got  to  leeward  of  Buck 
to  grab  him  if  he  lost  his  hold,  but  as  the  solid  water  came 
over  the  bow,  Buck  lowered  his  head  and  bucked  it  as 
he  used  to  buck  the  center  of  the  football  line.  When  he 
came  down  to  ask  about  the  securing  of  the  masts  and 
head  booms,  he  remarked: 

"  Casey,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  sea  tries  to  bully  a 
man,"  and  he  shook  his  head  with  defiance.  The  old 
sailor  smiled  and  said  nothing. 

"  I  see  you  are  investigating  masts  and  head  booms, 
Mr.  Jones.  I  thought  they  didn't  come  in  the  lessons  till 
the  end  of  the  cruise." 

"  We  have  running  rigging  this  week,  it  is  true,  but  I 
want  to  get  hold  of  the  other  end  of  it." 

Casey  laughed  outright,  this  tickled  him  so,  for  he  had 
several  times  told  Carrington  that  the  new  cadets  should 
begin  at  that  end.  Casey  was  the  only  enlisted  man  in 
the  service  that  took  such  liberties  of  expressing  his  opin- 
ions to  his  superiors.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  Buck  had 
mapped  out  a  logical  programme  by  which  he  purposed  to 
reach  "  mastery."  He  would  have  begun  with  the  main 
features  of  the  construction  of  the  ship  itself,  but  the  con- 
ditions and  facilities  for  investigating  this  field  were 
limited. 

When  he  went  below  for  breakfast  at  eight  bells,  he 


148  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

found  the  berth  deck  very  close  and  stuffy  and  nausea 
began  to  set  in.  In  all  probability,  if  he  hadn't  hurriedly 
returned  on  deck,  even  his  indomitable  will  power  would 
have  gone  down  before  the  overpowering  force  of  sea- 
sickness. 

The  ship  was  hove  to  all  day.  It  seemed  to  Buck  that 
the  sea  had  determined  to  wear  the  ship  out.  The  rain 
came  down  in  torrents,  heavier  than  Buck  had  ever  seen 
before. 

"  I  see,  Mr.  Jones,  that  the  glass  has  begun  to  go  up 
a  little  and  this  rain  will  beat  the  sea  down.  I'm  think- 
ing you  have  won  out." 

Casey  smiled,  and  Buck  smiled  back,  as  he  realized 
that  the  old  sailor  had  been  watching  the  struggle. 

"  The  sea  was  only  trying  your  metal,  sir,  because  it 
likes  you.  It'll  be  like  an  old  friend  to  you  hereafter." 

"  I  think  I'll  cultivate  the  friendship,"  replied  Buck ; 
and  from  that  moment  he  began  to  look  upon  the  sea  as  a 
friend,  and  took  delight  in  its  thousand  varying  phases. 

During  the  midwatch  the  rain  still  fell.  Buck  saw 
but  little  change  in  the  wind,  but  the  sea  had  gone  down 
perceptibly.  During  the  forenoon  watch  there  was  no 
question.  The  wind  was  falling  steadily,  and  the  sea  was 
going  down  rapidly.  In  the  first  dogwatch  they  set  the 
fore  and  mizzen  topsails  close  reefed,  and  hoisted  the  jib 
and  stood  away  at  a  lively  speed,  still  on  the  starboard 
tack,  and  Buck  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  evening  watch. 
When  he  came  up  for  the  morning  watch  the  next  day, 
and  had  a  cup  of  steaming  coffee  and  a  piece  of  hard-tack, 
and  helped  to  shake  the  reefs  out  of  the  topsails,  he  felt 
a  great  exhilaration  as  the  ship  bounded  along,  heading 
about  north,  northwest,  on  her  course  for  New  England. 
The  seasick  cadets  began  to  take  notice,  and  most  of  them 
appeared  at  breakfast  with  good  appetites. 


BUCK  MASTERS  THE  SEA  AND  A   PORPOISE       149 

Along  toward  eight  bells  Buck  ran  forward,  calling : 

"  Casey,  Casey !  What  are  these  ?  "  pointing  to  what 
seemed  like  a  drove  of  big  hogs  leaping  out  of  the 
water. 

"  They  are  porpoises,  Mr.  Jones.  The  sea  is  full  of 
them." 

Buck  watched  them  with  fascination  as  they  crossed 
the  bow  and  gradually  disappeared  to  windward. 

"  They  have  the  speed  of  a  horse." 

"  You  couldn't  catch  them  on  a  hook,  could  you, 
Casey?" 

"  No,  but  sometimes,  if  you  get  down  on  the  dolphin 
striker,  you  might  harpoon  one." 

Buck's  eyes  gleamed.  Casey  got  up  the  harpoon  and 
Buck  practiced,  and  two  days  later,  while  the  ship  was 
becalmed  and  the  port  watch  was  on  deck,  Casey  let  him 
down  on  the  dolphin  striker  in  a  bowline,  and  for  three 
hours  Buck  waited,  enjoying  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  bow 
in  the  sea  swell  which  sometimes  licked  his  feet.  Twice 
he  hurled  at  a  dolphin,  and  missed.  At  last  he  spied  a 
school  of  porpoises.  They  bore  down  upon  the  ship  and 
began  to  circle  around.  Buck  shivered  with  excitement. 
One  appeared  out  ahead.  Buck  hurled,  but  missed.  "  I'll 
allow  more  for  his  speed  next  time."  Another  crossed 
deep  down.  Buck  hurled  and  just  grazed  the  tail. 
"  There  he  comes."  It  was  the  big  bull  porpoise,  heading 
straight  for  the  dolphin  striker.  Buck  could  hardly 
restrain  himself. 

"  I'll  hurl  now.  No,  wait,  he  may  come  out,"  and  he 
balanced  the  raised  harpoon  with  a  patience  and  steadi- 
ness of  arms  that  made  old  Casey  dance  around  with  joy. 
The  reward  came.  The  porpoise  came  to  the  top  and  al- 
most struck  Buck's  feet,  and  as  he  came  out  of  the  water, 
Buck  hurled  the  harpoon  with  all  his  might  at  close  range. 


150  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

It  struck  deep  in  the  blunt  snout  of  the  great  fish,  which 
shook  its  bottle  head  and  went  down  snorting  like  a  bull. 

"  I've  got  him,  Casey,  I've  got  him." 

The  line  was  snatched  through  Buck's  hands  with  so 
much  force  that  it  burned  a  blister. 

"  Let  go  your  end,  Mr.  Jones." 

"  All  right,  Casey.  Hold  him  at  your  end  till  I  get 
on  deck." 

For  nearly  an  hour  they  played  the  fish.  They  would 
bring  him  to  the  surface,  then  he'd  dive  again.  One  time 
he  dived  and  came  up  on  the  other  side  of  the  ship. 

"  Why  don't  you  shoot  him  ?  You  may  lose  him  if  you 
keep  on  this  way,"  advised  Kelly. 

"  No,"  replied  Buck  emphatically.  "  We're  going  to 
land  him  fair  and  square." 

A  throng  had  gathered  on  the  forecastle  to  watch  the 
sport.  Finally  they  got  a  noose  with  slip  knot  over  his 
head,  and  bent  on  the  foretop  bowline  and  hoisted  the 
struggling  fish  on  board.  It  weighed  seven  hundred  and 
sixty  pounds.  Buck's  heart  leaped.  He  had  never  had 
any  sport  at  big  game.  The  biggest  thing  he  had  ever 
bagged  was  a  wild  turkey  weighing  twenty-five  pounds. 
He  had  caught  a  trout  weighing  eight  pounds,  with  pole, 
and  a  mud  cat  weighing  twenty-one  pounds  on  a  troutline. 

"  Look  how  the  harpoon  went  in,"  said  Casey  proudly. 
"  An  old  whaler  could  not  have  waited  his  time  and  put 
it  in  better." 

They  served  porpoise  steaks  on  board  for  three  days. 
Casey  himself  took  two  choice  steaks  back  to  the  Captain 
and  to  the  wardroom,  "  With  the  compliments  of  Mr. 
Jones." 

"  Old  Casey  is  living  his  youth  over  again  in  young 
Mr.  Jones,"  remarked  Dott  as  Casey  deposited  the  steak 
and  left,  holding  his  head  high  with  pride. 


BUCK  MASTERS  THE  SEA  AND  A  PORPOISE       151 

For  the  next  few  days  the  weather  was  ideal,  the  wind 
varying  from  almost  a  calm  to  a  fresh  breeze  from  the 
east.  The  ship  kept  on  her  course  about  north.  The 
moon,  that  had  been  growing  behind  the  clouds  during 
the  gale,  began  to  preside  by  night.  Buck  thought  the  sea 
very  beautiful  by  moonlight,  with  the  silvery  cylinder 
glinting  on  the  dancing  water,  and  with  a  wandering  cloud 
at  times  throwing  a  mysterious  shadow  down.  The  whole 
sky  took  on  a  new  beauty  by  day  and  by  night.  In  the 
morning  watches,  Buck  delighted  in  the  dawn,  when  the 
stars  and  the  great  morning  planet  withdrew  before  the 
approach  of  the  sun,  and  he  delighted  in  the  twilight  when 
the  moon  and  stars  came  on  deck  again  to  relieve  the  sun. 

"They  keep  watch  and  watch,"  he  would  say  to  himself. 
He  came  to  hold  companionship  with  the  constellations 
during  the  night  watches,  when  Casey  would  tell  him  their 
names  and  point  out  the  many  forms  they  took  on  and 
have  taken  on  in  the  imagination  of  men  since  the  days 
when  the  Chaldean  shepherds,  the  forerunners  of  the 
astronomers,  watched  their  flocks  by  night  and  cultivated 
the  friendship  of  the  stars. 

Buck  was  especially  fascinated  by  the  milky  way. 

"  They  tell  me,"  remarked  Casey,  as  Buck  was  point- 
ing out  the  great  sweep  of  the  arch,  "  that  it  is  arching 
over  China  at  the  same  time,  that  it  is  like  a  big  wheel 
in  space." 

"  Then  the  earth  is  at  the  hub !  "  exclaimed  Buck  with 
keen  interest. 

"  Somewhere  around  there,"  confirmed  Casey. 

Buck  remained  silent  in  deep  meditation. 

"  The  hub  is  an  important  part  of  a  wheel.  Maybe 
the  earth  is  worth  God's  thought.  Man  is  certainly  the 
highest  thing  on  earth.  If  the  soul  is  really  immortal, 
it  must  be  very  precious  in  God's  sight." 


152  BUCK   JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

As  Buck  meditated  on  the  vault  of  the  studded  heaven 
overhead,  sweeping  down  to  meet  the  horizon  of  the  sea, 
the  mystery  and  wonder  of  the  universe  came  upon  him, 
but  he  did  not  shudder,  for  God  seemed  to  be  through  it 
all,  and  the  chill  and  loneliness  disappeared.  The  healthy 
contact  with  life  and  nature  was  bringing  Buck  relief 
from  the  doubts  that  had  threatened  his  faith. 

One  night  Buck  spent  most  of  a  whole  watch  can- 
vassing the  various  stars.  Finally  he  came  up  to  Casey: 

"  The  North  Star  is  mine." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Jones,  the  North  Star  is  the  oldest 
friend  I've  got  living,  but  you  can  have  it.  I  let  Farra- 
gut  have  it  while  he  was  alive."  After  a  pause  he  asked: 
"  What  made  you  pick  out  the  North  Star,  there  are  hun- 
dreds of  other  stars  that  are  brighter." 

"  Yes,"  said  Buck,  "but  the  North  Star  doesn't  change. 
It's  steadfast  and  true.  It  doesn't  vaunt  itself  like  those 
planets,  but  it's  always  there,  and  you  know  it's  there 
even  when  it's  out  of  your  sight." 

"  That's  just  what  Farragut  said.  I  remember  one 
night  in  '61  he  was  walking  the  quarter-deck. 

"  '  Capt'n,'  says  I,  '  you  look  mighty  sad.' 

"  c  Yes,  Tim,'  says  he,  '  I  am  sad.  They've  sent  for 
me  to  go  South.  I  love  the  South,  Tim.  I  was  born  there. 
But  I  can't  go,  Tim,  that's  my  star,'  and  he  pointed  to 
the  pole. 

"  '  She's  been  mine,  Capt'n,  but  I'll  let  you  have  her/ 
says  I." 

Buck  was  silent  for  a  while. 

"  My  father  told  me,"  he  began,  "  how  sad  it  made 
General  Lee  when  they  came  to  him  and  asked  him  to 
take  command  of  the  Union  armies.  '  I  love  the  Union,' 
he  said,  '  but  from  childhood  I  have  felt  that  in  our  land 
a  man's  first  duty  is  to  his  State.' ' 


BUCK  MASTERS  THE   SEA  AND  A  PORPOISE       153 

There  was  silence.  Buck  felt  that  Casey  did  not  ap- 
prove of  this  doctrine,  and  he  added,  "  Things  are  dif- 
ferent now,  of  course.  I  suppose  everybody  believes  that 
we  owe  our  first  duty  to  the  flag."  They  sat  awhile  with- 
out speaking. 

"  Casey,  it  seems  to  me  that  everybody  was  sad  in 
those  days  on  both  sides.  My  father  was  sad,  my  grand- 
fathers were  sad.  They  say  Lincoln  was  sad,  and  Grant 
was  sad.  I'm  coming  to  think  that  things  and  sides  may 
vary,  but  that  great  and  good  men  are  all  the  same." 

Casey  nodded. 

The  routine  exercises  went  ahead.  It  didn't  take 
Buck  long  to  work  up  the  practical  lessons  assigned  the 
plebes,  for  he  had  gone  ahead  and  was  already  familiar 
with  the  standing  rigging  and  the  masts,  and  had  begun 
to  take  up  sails  and  the  mechanics  of  propulsion  by  sail 
power,  though  this  would  not  be  taught  for  three  years 
yet.  He  watched  critically  every  maneuver  and  evolution, 
and  plied  Casey  with  questions.  On  watch  and  off  watch 
he  worked  away  methodically  according  to  plans  and  pro- 
grammes mapped  out  by  himself  to  reach  "  mastery." 

When  the  marks  were  posted  at  the  end  of  the  week, 
however,  Rix  was  first,  Catell  second,  and  Buck  was  only 
third.  The  sketching  was  something  new,  and  he  disliked 
to  spend  so  much  time  drawing  in  the  bands,  eyebolts,  and 
every  little  detail,  and  keeping  the  sketches  clean  and  neat. 
It  seemed  to  be  wasting  time,  and  he  simply  couldn't  do  it 
well.  Even  when  Fonste  gave  him  a  notebook  to  rule  off 
for  his  first  class  record  of  the  log,  he  returned  it  with 
blots  and  erasures,  though  he  wanted  to  do  the  best  for 
Fonste,  and  he  heard  the  other  first  classmen,  whose  books 
had  been  ruled  beautifully,  guying  him  about  his. 

Catell  and  Rix  had  beautiful  sketches,  with  shading 
and  lettering  as  regular  and  exact  as  if  printed  or  en- 
11 


154  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

graved.  There  were  a  dozen  of  his  class  whose  sketches 
were  better  than  his.  It  was  only  Buck's  unrivaled  grasp 
and  description  of  the  things  themselves,  and  their  uses, 
that  put  him  up  near  the  head. 

"  I'll  have  to  stand  first,"  he  resolved  again  and  again, 
as  he  applied  himself  to  improving  the  sketching,  but  week 
by  week  Bix  and  Catell  came  out  ahead. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July  all  drills  and  exercises  were 
omitted,  and  from  the  morning  watch  till  sunset  the  ship 
was  given  over  to  celebration.  At  breakfast  the  cadets 
had  flapjacks.  The  fresh  provisions  were  running  very 
low,  but  Pinckney  managed  to  get  up  a  creditable  Fourth 
of  July  dinner,  ending  with  plum  pudding  and  nuts  and 
raisins. 

The  men,  also,  had  a  special  dinner,  with  "  plum 
duff  "  for  dessert,  and  after  dinner  began  their  sports,  with 
the  first  lieutenant  as  umpire.  The  wardroom  officers 
contributed  to  get  up  the  prizes,  which  ranged  from  a 
twenty-dollar  gold  piece  for  the  race  over  the  masthead 
down  to  five  pounds  of  tobacco  for  the  "  spud  "  race.  In 
the  race  over  the  masthead,  Buck  never  believed  men 
could  go  up  and  down  the  rigging  as  some  of  the  men  did. 
They  seemed  to  fly,  never  stopping  for  the  lubber's  hole, 
but  going  over  the  futtocks  into  the  topmost  rigging. 
Mike  Kelly  won  with  but  a  short  lead  over  John  An- 
derson. 

"  If  Casey  had  entered  neither  of  us  would  have  stood 
a  show,  old  as  he  is  getting,"  said  Kelly  to  Anderson. 

Buck  was  keenly  interested  in  the  boxing  contests  and 
the  fencing  bouts,  and  was  greatly  amused  at  the  three- 
legged  race,  but  what  he  enjoyed  most  was  the  national 
salute,  twenty-one  guns,  fired  at  noon  as  a  big  national 
flag  flew  out  from  the  masthead.  He  was  fairly  thrilled 
with  delight. 


BUCK  MASTERS  THE   SEA  AND  A  PORPOISE       155 

When  they  reefed  topsails  at  sunset  to  get  snug  for 
the  night,  Casey  remarked  to  Buck  that  he  felt  the  New 
England  coast  was  not  far  off. 

"  Yes,"  said  Buck,  "  we  must  be  getting  in  toward 
land,  the  water  is  beginning  to  look  green.  I  never  saw 
anything  so  blue  as  it  was  while  I  was  harpooning  the 
porpoise." 

Casey  smiled. 

In  the  morning  watch  they  hove  the  deep-sea  lead. 
Buck  thought  it  would  never  reach  bottom,  finally  it 
stopped  at  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  fathoms. 

"  It's  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  deep,"  remarked  Buck 
with  astonishment. 

"  Where  you  harpooned  the  porpoise  it  was  over  two 
miles  deep,  Mr.  Jones,"  replied  Casey. 

Buck  marveled  at  such  a  thing.  He  began  to  examine 
the  gray  ground  rock  and  sand  brought  up  by  the  tallow 
in  the  bottom  of  the  long  heavy  lead.  "  There  must  be 
strange  things  down  there,"  he  remarked. 

"  When  I  was  sounding  with  my  friend  Commodore 
Maury  in  about  three  thousand  fathoms,  we  brought 
up  a  small  fish  that  had  no  eyes.  It  began  to  swell  up, 
and  finally  popped  open."  As  Casey  finished  these 
words,  he  exclaimed :  "  Look !  look !  there !  Mr.  Jones," 
pointing  a  short  distance  over  the  stern.  Buck  saw  the 
water  churning,  a  waterspout  rose,  and  like  a  flash  a  mon- 
ster whale  leaped  high  out  of  the  water,  with  a  big  sword- 
fish  hanging  to  his  body.  The  swordfish  dropped  loose, 
and  as  the  whale  fell  back  he  struck  the  water  with  his  tail 
a  terrific  blow  that  sent  the  spray  over  the  stem  of 
the  ship. 

"If  he  hit  him,  it's  all  over,  but  I  think  he  missed," 
remarked  Casey  as  the  whale  disappeared. 

Soon  the  water  began  to  churn  again,  the  monster 


156  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

came  up  to  the  surface,  bellowing  like  an  infuriated  bull, 
and  lashed  the  water  to  foam. 

"  The  swordfish  has  stabbed  him  again,"  said  Casey, 
"  and  his  sword  is  sawing  its  bloody  way  out." 

The  foam  was  becoming  tinted  with  blood.  Every- 
body on  deck  had  come  aft,  and  many  from  below  had 
come  up.  The  whale  "  sounded "  again,  and  this  time 
reached  a  considerable  depth.  Buck  thought  he  was  gone 
for  good,  but  again  he  came  up  spouting,  and  leaped  into 
the  air  with  the  swordfish  hanging,  and  lashed  the  water 
with  blow  after  blow  of  his  mighty  tail. 

"  How  will  it  end  ?  "  asked  Buck,  all  excitement. 

"  You  can't  tell." 

"  Do  you  think  the  Captain  would  let  the  ship  stop, 
so  we  could  see  it  out  ?  " 

"  I'll  see,"  and  Casey  went  down  to  see  Dott. 

"  What  are  you  so  interested  in  the  fight  for,  Casey  ? 
You  have  seen  a  hundred  such  fights." 

Casey  admitted  that  it  was  for  "  Mr.  Jones."  Dott 
had  observed  the  deep  friendship  and  attachment. 

11  I'd  like  to  do  it  for  you,  Casey.  But  we  are  trying 
to  make  port  on  schedule  time,  and  I  don't  think  the  Cap- 
tain would  be  willing  to  stop." 

Casey  came  on  deck  disappointed. 

"  I'm  sorry  we  can't  stop,  Mr.  Jones.  It  seems  we  are 
due  in  port  to-morrow,  and  the  Captain  wishes  to  get  there 
by  twelve  o'clock,  and  it  will  take  a  good  run  to  do  it." 

"  I'm  sorry.  They've  been  at  it  furiously  since  you 
went  below.  Three  times  more  they  have  come  into  the 
air,  and  for  some  time  they  have  been  wallowing  as  you 
see  them  now." 

Casey  got  the  telescope  and  leveled  it  on  the  rail  for 
Buck  to  follow  the  fight  as  the  ship  drew  away. 

"  It'll  now  be  to  the  death.     The  whale  is  a  peaceable 


BUCK  MASTERS  THE  SEA  AND  A  PORPOISE       157 

brute,  and  sometimes  when  lie  first  finds  a  difficulty  com- 
ing on,  he'll  sound  to  a  great  depth  where  his  adversary 
cannot  follow.  But  when  he  has  been  badly  wounded  his 
rage  becomes  terrible.  If  he  kills  the  swordfish,  then 
he'll  go  down  to  nurse  his  wounds.  If  not,  he'll  stay  on 
the  surface  to  the  end." 

Buck  watched  intently  through  the  glass. 

"  They  are  still  on  the  surface  fighting.  Look,  Casey ! 
It's  terrible." 

Casey  looked.  "  I  think  the  swordfish  has  reached  a 
vital  spot.  The  whale  is  in  convulsions." 

Buck  took  the  glass  again. 

"  I  think  it  is  quieting  down.  There's  the  whale,  but 
he's  stopped  fighting." 

"  He's  dead,  Mr.  Jones." 

A  revulsion  of  feeling  came  over  Buck.  He  had  been 
all  eagerness  during  the  fight.  The  great  animal  was 
dead  !  The  ocean  was  full  of  tragedy  like  the  land ! 

In  the  dogwatch  Buck  called  out  from  his  topsail 
yard  lookout : 

"Land,  ho!" 

"Where  away?" 

"  Two  points  oif  the  port  bow." 

Everybody  smiled,  including  the  officer  of  the  deck, 
and  the  navigator. 

"  He's  dreaming,"  the  former  said. 

The  latter  remarked  that  the  land  must  be  thirty  miles 
off  at  least,  "  unless  we  were  all  out  in  our  time  sights." 
He  went  on  the  forecastle  and  looked  up  at  Buck  in  the 
yard  with  his  hands  over  his  eyes  looking  forward. 

"  Topsail  yard,  there,  are  you  sure  you  see  land  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

The  navigator  climbed  up  to  the  yard  and  leveled  his 
binoculars. 


158  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  You  are  right,  Mr.  Jones.  I  detect  the  top  of  the 
lighthouse.  That's  Montauk  Point." 

As  they  drew  nearer,  Buck  lived  over  in  imagination 
the  feelings  of  Columbus  when  he  first  sighted  land  after 
his  long  and  anxious  voyage. 


CHAPTEE   XII 

BUCK   PROVES   THE   STRENGTH  OF   HIS   FRIENDSHIP 
FOR    CASEY 

AC  11.30  next  morning  they  anchored  in  Martha's 
Vineyard  on  schedule  time.  The  wind  was  fa- 
vorable as  they  navigated  in  and  out  of  the 
islands,  though  they  had  to  tack  several  times.  Buck 
thought  several  times  that  they  must  go  aground,  they 
came  so  close  to  land,  but  the  water  carried  deep  right  up 
to  the  rocks. 

Buck  was  delighted  with  the  rugged  coast,  and  loved 
to  see  and  hear  the  swell  strike  full  body  against  the  cliffs. 

As  soon  as  the  ship  anchored,  the  mail  orderly  went 
ashore  and  brought  up  sacks  of  mail.  All  the  cadets  gath- 
ered around  the  mate  of  the  berth  deck  as  he  called  out  the 
names. 

Buck  felt  a  strong  thrill  as  he  heard  his  name  called 
out  time  and  again.  He  must  have  had  ten  or  twelve.  He 
climbed  up  in  the  maintop  to  be  alone.  He  arranged  the 
letters  in  the  order  of  the  dates  as  stamped.  He  would 
read  awhile,  then  look  up  and  think,  then  read  again. 
Thus  he  went  through  them  all.  Then  he  read  his 
mother's  letters  again.  He  wished  she  were  there.  The 
tears  came  up,  he  knew  not  why;  tears  of  love,  tears  of 
loneliness.  His  life  seemed  full,  but  his  heart  was  hungry, 
hungry  for  his  mother  and  the  dear  ones  at  home.  He 
was  manly,  but  he  was  human,  and  he  was  very  young. 

The  ship  remained  at  anchor  two  days.  Fresh  laun- 
159 


160  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

dry  had  come  up  from  Annapolis.  The  steward  laid  in 
fresh  provisions.  How  the  cadets  did  relish  fresh  things 
again!  At  supper,  plebes  began  drinking  milk  who  had 
never  cared  for  milk  before. 

The  cadets  were  allowed  to  go  ashore,  and  Buck  and 
Preble  went  together,  and  had  a  good  time.  They  went 
in  swimming,  and  looked  at  the  interesting  shells  and 
curios,  and  ate  ice  cream  and  cake.  Buck  wanted  to  buy 
some  presents  for  his  mother  and  sisters  with  the  fifteen 
dollars  left  over  from  his  entrance  money,  but  Preble  ad- 
vised him  to  wait  until  they  reached  Portsmouth. 

"  Preble,  don't  they  let  the  men  go  ashore  ?  I  wanted 
Casey  to  come  ashore  so  I  could  have  his  photograph  taken. 
My  mother  wants  it.  I  have  been  writing  her  about  him." 

Preble  smiled,  then  added :  "  I  don't  think  Casey  will 
go  ashore.  At  least,  I  hope  he  won't.  Unfortunately 
Casey  gets  drunk."  Preble  saw  the  shock  that  this  gave 
Buck.  "  He  is  probably  the  best  sailor  the  service  has 
ever  produced,  and  one  of  the  truest  men,  but  he  grew 
up  in  the  old  days  when  grog  was  served  in  the  navy  as 
it  is  still  served  in  foreign  navies.  He  is  a  strong  man, 
but  about  once  a  cruise  the  thirst  comes  over  him  and 
overpowers  him." 

Buck  said  nothing,  but  Preble  saw  the  sadness  in  his 
face. 

"  Several  times  Casey  has  been  offered  a  warrant,  and 
he  would  doubtless  have  received  a  commission,  but  each 
time  he  declined.  '  I'll  stay  before  the  mast,'  he  would 
say ;  '  that's  all  I'm  fit  for,'  and  they  knew  what  he  meant. 
Kelly  has  told  me  in  confidence,  Buck,  that  Casey  has 
decided  not  to  go  on  liberty  this  cruise.  '  I'd  die  before 
I'd  let  Mr.  Jones  see  me  drunk,'  he  told  Kelly." 

Buck  talked  but  little  during  the  remaining  time  on 
shore.  Preble  noticed  that  he  was  downcast  at  supper. 


BUCK  PROVES  HIS  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  CASEY      161 

"  The  pity,  the  pity  of  it !  "  he  kept  saying  to  him- 
self. 

They  sailed  that  day  and  cruised  off  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  as  far  up  as  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  and 
finally  put  in  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  on  the  20th  of  July. 

The  morning  they  approached  port  they  found  the  big 
tug  from  the  Kittery  Navy  Yard  out  near  the  Isle  of 
Shoals,  come  out  to  meet  them,  and  they  furled  sail  and 
went  up  to  the  navy  yard  in  tow,  the  tug  alongside. 

As  they  came  up  toward  the  Navy  Yard,  Buck  began  to 
ply  Casey  with  questions. 

"  What  old  ship  is  that,  built  over  like  the  Santee  ?  " 

"  That's  the  Constitution,  Old  Ironsides"  replied 
Casey  proudly.  "  She  looks  desolate  enough  now,  but 
there  was  a  day  when  the  sight  of  her  sent  terror  through 
the  enemy." 

"  Did  you  ever  sail  on  her  ?  " 

"  On  three  cruises,  Mr.  Jones,  and  a  better  sailer  never 
rode  the  waves." 

Buck  knew  well  of  the  unparalleled  record  of  this  ship, 
that  had  carried  the  stars  and  stripes  to  victory  in  so  many 
waters. 

"  And  what  vessel  is  that  one  that  looks  like  the 
Wyoming  ? " 

"  That's  the  Kearsarge.  She  was  put  out  of  com- 
mission a  few  weeks  ago." 

"  The  one  that  sank  the  Alabama  ?  " 

"  The  same." 

The  Constellation  was  moored  at  the  dock  near  the 
tall  shear  legs  used  in  hoisting  masts,  and  within  an  hour 
Buck  had  climbed  to  the  top  of  them. 

"  Look  at  your  friend  up  there,  Casey.  He's  nothing 
but  a  boy,"  remarked  Kelly. 

"  Yes ;  but  you  put  him  on  duty,  and  he's  every  inch 


162  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

an  officer."  Kelly  admitted  this,  and  Casey  looked  the 
pride  he  felt. 

Buck  enjoyed  the  two  weeks'  stay  at  Portsmouth.  He 
enjoyed  the  water  most,  the  great  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides. 
While  the  drills  and  lessons  in  practical  seamanship  went 
on  all  the  time,  the  cadets  were  allowed  to  go  out  in  the 
Navy  Yard  practically  every  afternoon.  Buck  was  inter- 
ested in  the  shops,  though  but  little  work  was  going  on. 

Buck  did  not  confine  himself  to  the  shops  of  the  yard, 
but  explored  the  large  tract  of  land  owned  by  the  Govern- 
ment, partly  overgrown,  partly  in  orchards,  up  and  down 
the  shore  line.  He  found  a  cove  over  beyond  the  point, 
where  the  swimming  was  fine,  and  where  he  could  sit  on 
the  rocks  and  watch  the  sea  and  hear  the  breakers.  He 
took  Preble  and  Catell  and  Billerson  and  other  class- 
mates there,  and  they  would  pick  wild  raspberries  on  the 
way,  and  swim  together,  but  frequently  he  went  alone 
to  think  about  the  sea  and  about  life  as  it  showed  its 
new  phases. 

With  all-day  leave  on  Saturday,  he  and  Preble  took 
an  excursion  to  the  Isle  of  Shoals.  Buck  enjoyed  the  trip 
over  and  back,  and  made  an  inquisitive  inspection  in  the 
engine  room.  It  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  on  a 
steamer,  and  the  engineer  had  to  warn  him  several  times 
not  to  get  entangled  in  the  machinery.  He  was  fasci- 
nated with  the  smoothness  and  precision  of  the  mechanism, 
and  began  to  analyze  the  function  of  the  different  parts. 
After  watching  the  way  the  steamer  was  brought  to  the 
dock  with  ease  and  precision,  in  contrast  with  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  Constellation,  he  exclaimed  to  himself: 
"  Casey  is  wrong.  I  love  the  sails,  but  steam  is  the  thing 
to  drive  and  control  a  ship,"  and  he  resolved  to  "  master  " 
steamers  as  well  as  sailing  ships. 

The  days  passed,  delightful  days  for  Buck  and  all  the 


BUCK   PROVES  HIS  FRIENDSHIP   FOR  CASEY      163 

others.  They  had  a  goodly  amount  of  work,  but,  on  the 
whole,  it  was  more  like  a  vacation,  with  frequent  liberty 
for  cadets  and  seamen. 

The  time  for  sailing  was  close  at  hand.  Buck  was  sit- 
ting on  the  afterguard  chest  after  supper,  looking  out  at 
the  lights  across  the  bay.  The  upper  classmen  had  gone 
ashore  to  a  farewell  dance  given  to  them  at  the  Went- 
worth.  All  the  officers  had  gone  but  Dott  and  Lutze. 
Lutze  was  officer  of  the  deck,  and  Dott  came  up  and  they 
were  walking  up  and  down  together.  Buck  heard  them 
use  Casey's  name,  which  attracted  his  attention. 

"  Casey  is  renewing  his  youth  in  that  young  Jones," 
he  heard  Lutze  remark. 

"  Yes,"  said  Dott,  "  his  love  for  young  Jones  is  mak- 
ing a  new  man  out  of  him.  To-morrow  is  the  last  day  of 
liberty  for  the  men  and  he  hasn't  asked  to  go  on  liberty 
once,  but  is  content  to  stay  on  board  ship  and  around 
the  Navy  Yard.  I  believe  he  has  determined  not  to  touch 
another  drop." 

"  Very  different  from  Malone,"  he  added  after  a 
pause.  "  He  is  in  double  irons  now.  The  ship's  corporal 
caught  him  to-day  smuggling  liquor  on  board.  He  always 
has  been  a  source  of  demoralization." 

Buck  went  to  bed  very  happy,  thinking  that  perhaps  he 
had  been  helpful  to  Casey.  It  was  a  new  kind  of  happi- 
ness, in  many  ways  the  deepest  that  had  yet  entered  his 
heart,  for  he  loved  Casey,  and  had  grieved  ever  since  he 
heard  that  drink  had  marred  his  life;  but  his  happiness 
was  doomed  to  be  short-lived.  Casey  was  dressed  in  blue 
the  next  morning.  He  had  a  restless  look  in  his  eyes  and 
shunned  Buck.  This  was  very  disturbing  to  Buck.  When 
the  liberty  party  left  the  ship  at  twelve  o'clock,  Casey  was 
among  them.  Dott  happened  to  come  on  deck  at  that  mo- 


164  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

ment,  and  Lutze,  who  had  the  deck  for  the  forenoon  watch, 
remarked : 

"  We  spoke  too  soon  about  Casey." 

"  Yes,"  said  Dott,  with  bitterness  and  disappointment. 
"  It's  all  due  to  the  liquor  Malone  smuggled  on  board. 
I'd  like  to  see  every  drop  of  liquor  in  the  world  poured 
into  the  sea." 

Buck  was  deeply  depressed.  At  luncheon  the  last  day 
of  liberty  happened  to  come  up  for  discussion,  and  one 
of  the  first  classmen  told  how  on  his  plebe  cruise  the  best 
swimmer  on  board  had  drowned  while  coming  off. 

"  The  boat  capsized,  it  seems.  They  said  he  was 
drunk  and  got  tangled  up  in  the  seaweed.  The  other  two 
men  in  the  boat  escaped  all  right.  I  have  always  believed 
it  was  foul  play.  There  are  some  toughs  ashore  who  put 
on  sailors'  suits  and  get  the  men  drinking  and  then  rob 
them.  Five  years  ago  a  seaman  disappeared  the  last  day 
of  liberty  and  was  never  heard  of  again  till  his  body  was 
washed  ashore  two  weeks  later." 

After  lunch  Buck  went  on  deck  to  confer  with  Kelly. 
Kelly  was  in  the  blues,  too. 

"  Can't  we  do  something,  Kelly  ?  " 

"  No,  Mr.  Jones.  Malone  got  him  to  take  a  drink 
last  night.  That  started  him.  Nothing  on  earth  can  help 
him  now."  Then  he  added :  "  Such  a  pity,  such  a  pity ! 
He  drew  a  hundred  dollars  from  the  paymaster  this  morn- 
ing. When  he  comes  back,  he'll  not  have  a  cent.  They'll 
rob  him." 

"  Couldn't  you  go  ashore  and  take  care  of  him  ? " 
Buck  asked. 

"  It's  no  use,  Mr.  Jones ;  it's  no  use,"  and  Kelly  went 
down  the  hatch,  looking  the  picture  of  woe. 

Buck  climbed  up  in  the  maintop  to  think  it  all  out, 
but  he  could  not  rest.  Then  he  went  down  to  the  wash- 


BUCK  PROVES  HIS  FRIENDSHIP   FOR  CASEY      165 

room  and  walked  up  and  down  alone.  His  anxiety  for 
Casey  grew. 

"  I'll  go  myself,"  he  finally  resolved. 

Dott  noticed  how  grave  and  determined  Buck  looked 
when  he  asked  for  permission  to  go  ashore,  and  guessed 
what  it  meant. 

"  You  will  find  it  impossible  to  do  anything,  Mr. 
Jones,  and  I  advise  you  to  come  back  on  the  5.30  boat." 

Dott  felt  anxious  all  the  afternoon.  When  Buck 
failed  to  appear  on  the  5.30  boat,  the  anxiety  increased. 
When  he  did  not  come  on  the  nine  o'clock  boat,  Dott  be- 
came alarmed  and  did  not  go  to  bed,  hoping  he  might 
come  over  in  a  shore-boat,  or  come  around  by  the  bridge. 
At  midnight  he  woke  the  Captain. 

"  Jones,  B.  P.,  has  failed  to  return,  sir.  He  went 
ashore  this  afternoon  bent  upon  looking  out  for  Casey, 
who  is  off  on  a  spree  again.  I  fear  trouble  from  that 
gang  of  toughs.  With  your  permission  I  will  send  Mr. 
Fonste,  the  cadet  of  the  berth  deck,  ashore  to  confer  with 
the  police  authorities  and  begin  a  search." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Dott.    Report  to  me  the  result." 

Fonste  came  back  about  three  in  the  morning  and  re- 
ported that  the  police  had  traced  a  cadet,  also  an  old 
drunken  sailor  with  two  comrades,  as  far  as  the  Isle  of 
Shoals;  all  came  on  board  to  return  on  the  night  boat. 
Then  the  trace  was  lost.  No  one  could  be  found  who  re- 
membered seeing  the  cadet  or  the  old  sailor  get  off  at  the 
landing,  though  several  saw  the  two  comrades  come  off 
together.  They  were  out  then,  searching  for  these  two. 

"  What  do  they  think  ?  "  asked  Dott. 

"  They  agreed  that  it  was  '  foul  play,'  and  are  very 
gloomy.  The  chief  of  detectives  says  the  same  thing  has 
been  done  before  by  the  same  gang,  and  that  there  is  not 
one  chance  in  a  thousand  for  the  victims,  and  furthermore, 


166  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

that  unless  their  bodies  are  recovered  at  once,  there  will 
be  slight  chance  for  convicting  the  thugs." 

Dott  called  the  Captain,  and  they  went  together  to  con- 
fer with  the  Commandant  of  the  Navy  Yard. 

"  It's  a  sad  case,  Carrington.  That  gang  of  thugs  has 
been  preying  upon  our  seamen  for  five  years.  We  must 
break  them  up  at  any  cost." 

As  a  result  of  the  conference,  the  Commandant  issued 
orders  for  the  navy-yard  tug  to  be  ready  at  daybreak  to 
begin  search  for  the  bodies,  to  take  a  field  howitzer  in 
the  bow  and  fire  every  few  minutes  during  the  search. 
Firing  cannon  over  the  water  has  often  brought  bodies 
to  the  surface. 

When  Buck  started  up  from  the  landing  he  noticed 
the  saloon  with  the  sign  "  The  First  Chance."  He  had 
noticed  before  on  coming  down  to  the  landing  that  on  the 
other  side  the  sign  had  "  The  Last  Chance." 

"  This  must  be  a  special  saloon  to  catch  the  sailors," 
he  murmured,  and  the  horror  of  the  practice  came  over 
him.  He  went  in  and  found  a  dozen  sailors  drinking  and 
carousing.  They  were  all  astonished  to  see  a  cadet  come 
in,  and  silence  fell  on  the  group. 

"  What  will  you  have,  sir  ?  "  asked  the  bartender  with 
a  bow. 

"  Nothing,  thank  you.  But  could  you  tell  me  where 
to  find  Tim  Casey,  the  old  boatswain's  mate  of  the  Con- 
stellation ?  "  and  Buck  described  Casey. 

The  bartender  suavely  denied  any  knowledge  what- 
ever. 

Buck  was  about  to  leave,  when  one  of  the  sailors  spoke 
up.  It  was  Olsen. 

"  Casey  has  been  in  here  all  the  afternoon,  Mr.  Jones. 
He  left  about  half  an  hour  ago  with  two  seamen  who  had 


BUCK  PROVES   HIS  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  CASEY      167 

fought  under  Farragut;  they  were  going  to  the  Isle  of 
Shoals.  You  can't  do  anything,  Mr.  Jones,  when  he  gets 
started,"  he  added. 

"  When  does  the  boat  leave  ?  " 

"  At  four." 

Buck  looked  at  his  watch.  Six  minutes  remained,  and 
the  wharf  for  the  Isle  of  Shoals  boat  was  a  mile  away. 
Buck  left  the  saloon  calmly.  On  the  outside,  he  looked 
for  a  car.  None  was  in  sight.  He  could  make  it  with 
lighter  shoes.  He  would  make  it,  anyhow;  and  he  took 
the  middle  of  the  road  on  a  dead  run.  Buck  was  conscious 
that  people  stopped  to  stare  at  him,  and  he  hated  to  ap- 
pear undignified  in  his  uniform,  but  he  thought  of  Casey 
and  ran  with  all  his  might.  The  whistle  blew  when  he 
was  still  a  hundred  yards  away.  He  saw  the  deck  hands 
beginning  to  cast  off  the  lines.  "  Too  late,  too  late,"  he 
murmured,  but  on  he  ran,  increasing  his  speed  as  the  road 
sloped  down.  The  boat  shoved  off,  but  Buck  still  ran. 
The  captain  of  the  boat  backed  till  he  was  well  clear  of  the 
wharf,  then  put  his  helm  hard  aport  and  went  ahead. 
The  stern  swung  within  five  or  six  feet  of  the  end  of  the 
wharf  at  the  instant  Buck  arrived  on  a  full  run.  He 
leaped,  as  he  used  to  do  in  his  contest  for  running  broad 
jump — a  dangerous  leap,  but  he  caught  a  stanchion  as  he 
struck  the  rail  and  brought  up  on  board  without  injury. 
He  caught  his  breath  for  a  few  minutes,  then  found  the 
purser  to  pay  his  fare. 

"  Coming  back  for  to-night  ?  Round  trip  ?  There  are 
some  jolly  tars  on  board." 

"  Single  fare,  please." 

It  was  the  first  time  a  cadet  had  taken  the  late  boat, 
and  the  purser  eyed  Buck  closely  as  he  saw  the  grim,  stolid 
look  on  his  face.  Buck  had  a  foreboding  of  trouble.  The 
fact  that  he  had  disregarded  Dott's  advice  and  was  bound 


168  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

to  overstay  his  leave  would  have  weighed  on  him  heavily 
at  any  other  time,  but  now  he  never  gave  it  a  thought. 

Buck,  instead  of  becoming  aroused,  became  phleg- 
matic. His  pulse  actually  slowed  down  instead  of  going 
up.  He  didn't  wish  to  speak  unless  words  were  abso- 
lutely necessary.  His  whole  mind  became  centered  on  the 
situation  and  Casey's  danger.  His  movements  were  slow 
and  deliberate  as  he  went  up  on  the  passenger  deck.  He 
pretended  to  be  absorbed  in  looking  out  over  the  water  as 
he  drew  near  to  where  Casey  and  his  two  companions  were 
standing  behind  the  smokestack. 

Appearing  to  follow  the  coast  line  around  across  the 
bow  to  the  headland  on  the  other  side,  he  got  a  good  look 
at  the  group.  The  two  men  were  in  sailor  uniform  and 
had  hatbands  of  the  Kearsarge.  He  had  never  seen  such 
vicious  faces.  He  cast  his  gaze  back  over  the  shore  line 
and  moved,  as  though  unconsciously,  closer  to  the  group. 

"  We  are  joyous  to  meet  you,  old  comrade,"  and  the 
speaker  slapped  Casey  on  the  shoulder.  Buck  noticed  a 
peculiar  snaggle  of  his  right-hand  lower  teeth  as  he  made  a 
grimace  of  feigned  pleasure. 

"  That  we  are.  Let's  drink  to  the  Old  Navy !  "  and 
the  other  one  took  out  a  flask  and  a  small  tumbler,  filled  it, 
and  handed  it  to  Casey,  whose  back  was  turned  toward 
Buck. 

"  To  the  Old  Navy  it  is,"  said  Casey,  as  he  staggered 
forward,  took  the  glass,  and  drained  it.  He  was  too  far 
gone  to  notice  that  his  comrades  didn't  even  make  a  pre- 
tense of  drinking  with  him.  In  a  few  moments  the  second 
man  slapped  Casey  on  the  shoulder. 

"  So  you,  too,  fought  under  Farragut.  Ah,  there  was 
a  seaman  for  you !  " 

Buck  noticed  a  peculiar  squint  that  emphasized  a  scar 
behind  the  man's  right  eye. 


BUCK  PROVES  HIS  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  CASEY      169 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes,  every  inch — inch — a  seaman,"  Casey 
stuttered. 

"  Let's  drink  to  Farragut !  "  said  the  first  man. 

"  Here's  to  Farragut !  "  said  Casey,  as  he  again  drank 
the  glass  dry. 

Buck  revolved  in  his  mind  what  to  do. 

"  Shall  I  step  in  ?  Shall  I  report  the  matter  to  the 
officer  of  the  boat  ?  " 

A  sense  of  caution  counseled :  "  Wait."  Again  and 
again  they  made  Casey  drink,  always  getting  a  rise  out 
of  him  with  the  name  of  Farragut. 

Buck  appeared  to  walk  up  and  down  the  deck,  but 
he  was  never  far  away.  As  they  approached  the  Isle  of 
Shoals  he  heard  the  snaggle-tooth  man  say  to  the  other 
aside :  "  He's  nearly  ripe."  The  smile  with  which  he 
spoke  was  the  most  hellish  thing  Buck  had  ever  seen.  The 
three  went  over  the  gangway  arm  in  arm,  the  two  men 
supporting  Casey  in  the  middle. 

"  The  old  chap  is  three  sheets  in  the  wind,  but  his 
comrades  seem  to  be  able  to  look  out  for  him,"  remarked 
the  purser  with  a  smile  to  Buck.  But  the  smile  vanished 
when  he  saw  the  set  look  on  Buck's  face  as  he  passed  with- 
out a  word. 

"  A  queer  young  midshipman.  A  mere  boy,  but  he 
looks  as  stern  as  a  man.  He's  probably  staying  out  over 
night  without  leave  for  the  first  time,"  he  thought. 

After  landing  Buck  followed  a  short  distance  behind 
the  three.  "  Nearly  ripe !  "  he  kept  repeating  to  him- 
self, and  he  wished  that  he  had  taken  the  precaution 
to  bring  a  Colt's  revolver  with  him.  "  I  must  stay 
close  by." 

The  three  went  into  the  nearest  saloon  and  remained 
there.  Buck  passed  up  and  down,  and  after  dark  walked 
around  behind  the  saloon,  where  he  could  hear  them  as 
12 


170  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

again  and  again  they  had  Casey  drink  "  once  more  "  to 
Farragut. 

About  quarter  past  eight  he  heard  one  of  them  say: 
"  Come  on,  old  comrade,  it's  time  to  go  home.  The  boat 
leaves  at  8.30." 

They  came  out  together,  and  the  two  had  to  hold  Casey 
up  as  they  went  on  board.  The  two  men  feigned  to  be 
half  drunk  themselves  as  they  passed  the  purser. 

"  We  served  together  under  Farragut.  He's  loaded 
to  the  gunwale,  but  we'll  look  out  for  him !  "  said  the  one 
with  the  scar. 

"  What's  the  use  of  going  up  on  deck  ?  It's  night  and 
there  is  nothing  to  see." 

"  That's  a  fact.  Let's  stay  down  here,"  and  they  as- 
sisted Casey  aft,  and  the  three  sat  down  on  the  guard  rail 
over  the  starboard  quarter.  Buck  took  in  the  situation 
from  the  deck. 

"  Had  I  better  go  back  now  and  try  to  take  Casey  ?  " 
Caution  counseled:  No.  "  Then  I'll  go  up  on  deck  just 
above  them,  where  I  can  jump  down." 

"  So  you  decided  to  go  back  to-night  ? "  remarked  the 
purser. 

"  Yes,"  said  Buck,  and  he  went  slowly  on  deck,  then 
gradually  aft,  till  he  stood  close  over  the  three  men  where 
he  could  see  and  hear  them.  As  the  boat  got  under  way 
they  gave  Casey  another  drink,  holding  the  glass  to  his 
lips  for  him,  as  a  stupor  had  begun  to  set  in.  The  night 
was  dark  and  overcast.  The  boat  had  been  out  about 
twenty-five  minutes,  making  about  twelve  knots  an 
hour,  when,  in  the  dim  light,  Buck  saw  one  of  the  men 
peer  around  one  side  of  the  deck  house,  then  the  other 
side. 

"  It's  all  clear,"  he  said  in  a  low  tone.  They  shook 
Casey  up.  "  One  more  drink  to  Farragut." 


BUCK   PROVES   HIS  FRIENDSHIP   FOR  CASEY      171 

After  pouring  out  the  whiskey,  the  snaggle-tooth  man 
poured  something  from  a  small  vial  into  the  whiskey. 

"  The  fiends  are  drugging  him." 

"  Take  this  for  Farragut,"  and  they  poured  the  con- 
tents down  Casey's  throat.  Then  they  quickly  rifled  his 
pockets  and  took  out  a  wad  of  bills. 

"  Has  he  got  a  watch  ?  " 

"  No." 

"Got  everything?" 

"  Yes." 

Buck  was  just  on  the  point  of  jumping  down,  when 
suddenly  his  hair  stood  on  end.  They  took  Casey  by  the 
legs  and  pitched  him  backward  overboard.  Buck  dashed 
for  the  side,  throwing  overboard  the  ring  life  preserver 
that  hung  at  hand  as  he  went.  In  another  instant  he 
dived  overboard  headforemost.  The  speed  at  which  he 
was  going  sprawled  him  out  as  he  struck,  but  helped  him 
to  come  up  with  his  head  pointing  aft,  and  like  a  flash 
he  was  off  with  his  fastest  overhand  stroke,  covering  the 
boat's  length  of  distance  to  Casey  in  time  to  see  him  go 
down,  with  scarcely  a  struggle,  in  the  eddy  of  the  boat's 
wake.  Buck  dived  in  advance  and  swam  obliquely  under 
the  water  to  cut  him  off  as  he  went  down.  In  the  day- 
time he  could  see  like  a  fish  under  water,  but  now  the 
night  was  so  dark  that  he  groped  about  in  vain,  and 
finally  came  to  the  surface  for  a  breath. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  Casey  probably  would 
not  come  up,  with  so  much  liquor  in  his  stomach.  There 
was  but  one  chance. 

He  found  the  spot  where  the  bubbles  were  still  coming 
up,  drew  a  long  breath,  threw  his  legs  high  in  the  air, 
and  went  straight  down.  Down,  down  he  went  till  the 
pressure  of  the  water  strained  his  ear  drums.  Far  down 
below  him,  his  eyes  now  better  accustomed  to  the  dark- 


172  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

ness,  he  discerned  Casey,  who  was  slowly  sinking  without 
a  struggle. 

Buck  expelled  a  little  bubble  of  air  with  a  temporary 
relief,  and  went  deeper. 

Under  the  vigorous  exercise  nature  made  cruel  de- 
mands for  breathing.  The  impulse  to  breathe  out  all  the 
air  in  his  lungs  became  torture,  and,  finally,  he  was  driven 
to  expel  another  precious  bubble.  Again  the  torture  be- 
came intolerable,  this  time  sooner  than  before,  and  in 
spite  of  almost  superhuman  control,  he  had  to  expel  a 
third  bubble  as  his  hands  reached  Casey's  head  and 
seized  the  long  collar  of  his  jacket.  He  pulled  with  such 
tremendous  effort  that  it  stopped  Casey  and  started  him 
upward.  Another  bubble  had  to  go.  Holding  Casey  by 
the  collar,  with  his  left  hand  straightened  above  his  head, 
Buck  started  on  the  journey  upward,  using  his  right  hand 
and  legs  with  giant  strokes. 

"  It's  quick  or  never,"  he  thought,  and  he  redoubled  his 
strokes.  Another  bubble.  Another — still  another — and 
yet  another.  On  he  struggled.  Every  tissue  in  his  body 
demanded  oxygen.  The  impulse  to  draw  in  became  more 
terrible  than  had  been  the  impulse  to  blow  out.  His  ef- 
forts became  frantic.  The  agony  almost  passed  the  limit 
of  human  endurance.  "  Let  the  end  come,"  the  tortured 
body  demanded.  "  No,"  commanded  the  spirit.  "  Let  it 
come !  Let  it  come !  "  "  No,  it's  for  Casey." 

A  terrible  dread  came  over  Buck  lest  his  spirit  should 
give  way.  He  put  forth  convulsive  efforts,  and  seemed 
to  find  momentary  relief,  but  nature  came  back  like  a 
battering  ram.  "  Open  your  mouth  and  end  it  all,"  it 
demanded.  "  No."  "  Open !  Open !  !  "  "  No,  it's  for 
Casey,  it's  for  Casey."  "  Open !  Open !  !  Open !  !  !  " 
"  Never !  Never !  !  Never !  !  !  "  and  Buck  ground  his 
teeth  together.  They  set  as  in  lockjaw.  He  lowered  his 


BUCK  PROVES  HIS  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  CASEY      173 

chin  and  pressed  it  against  his  collar  bone  to  hold  it  fast. 
The  spirit  had  conquered.  Buck  worked  on  with  steadier 
strokes,  but  it  seemed  that  the  end  would  never  come. 
Strange  burning  pains  began  to  pass  like  lightning  flashes 
back  and  forth  through  his  head.  But  it  mattered  not  to 
Buck.  A  great  peace  had  come  over  him.  Suddenly 
Casey's  weight  seemed  heavier,  Buck's  hand  holding  the 
collar  became  chill. 

At  that  instant  his  head  popped  out.  They  were  at 
the  surface.  Buck  threw  up  his  head,  opened  his  mouth 
wide  and  drank  in  the  air.  Thirst  for  water  may  become 
terrible,  but  it  can  never  compare  with  the  thirst  for  air. 
No  perishing  caravan  in  the  desert  ever  drank  at  the  oasis 
with  the  eagerness  and  joy  that  Buck  drank  the  fresh  air 
of  heaven.  There  was  exultation  of  spirit,  too.  He  had 
won !  He  had  won !  Then  instantly  the  forlorn  situation 
came  over  him.  He  yelled  at  the  top  of  his  lungs :  "  Boat, 
there !  Boat,  there !  "  but  his  voice  was  lost  over  the 
waste  of  water.  The  boat  was  a  good  mile  away,  and 
getting  farther  away  constantly.  He  had  not  thought  to 
call  out  "  Man  overboard  "  when  he  jumped.  But  Buck 
never  wasted  time  over  regrets,  and  it  required  strong 
efforts  to  keep  Casey  on  the  surface. 

He  swam,  pushing  Casey  along,  and  finally  found  the 
white  cork  ring  buoy.  With  some  difficulty  he  got  it  over 
Casey's  neck,  then  one  arm  through,  and  finally  the  other 
arm  through,  and  though  the  buoy  lodged  under  the  arm- 
pits and  kept  Casey's  head  and  neck  out  to  the  shoulders, 
there  was  great  difficulty  in  keeping  his  face  above  water, 
as  in  the  stupor  his  head  dropped  over  limp.  Buck  was 
shivering,  and  his  teeth  were  chattering  under  the  chill 
of  the  cold  water. 

He  glanced  out  at  the  distant  lights  of  the  city,  with 
their  gleam  against  the  sky,  then  at  the  Shoal  Island  Light. 


174  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

He  scanned  the  horizon  carefully.  A  longing  and  a  feel- 
ing of  regret  passed  over  him  as  he  saw  the  mast  and 
cabin  lights  of  the  steamer  drawing  farther  and  farther 
away. 

If  they  only  knew  on  board !  And  the  assassins  would 
get  ashore  and  off  safe !  Anger  against  them  came  over 
Buck  as  he  looked  at  Casey.  The  chill  seemed  to  penetrate 
to  his  very  bones  in  spite  of  the  vigorous  kicking. 

It  must  have  been  five  miles  to  the  island.  Buck  meas- 
ured the  distance  with  his  eye.  They  could  not  make 
a  half  mile  an  hour,  and  would  probably  stiffen  soon  in 
the  cold. 

The  situation  gave  scarcely  a  ray  of  hope.  The  sky 
was  black,  the  sea  was  black.  The  swell  tossed  them  up 
and  down. 

All  in  all,  it  seemed  best  to  try  for  the  island,  and 
Buck  struck  out  with  stout  heart,  pushing  Casey  ahead. 
The  leg  stroke  was  the  main  thing,  he  remembered,  and 
he  drew  his  feet  up  and  pulled  off  his  shoes,  one  at  a  time, 
with  the  use  of  one  hand,  and  swam  on  with  a  better 
stroke.  Soon  he  took  off  his  blouse,  pulling  the  suspender 
buckles  up  to  keep  the  trousers  high,  and  swam  on  with 
a  still  better  stroke. 

Buck  ducked  Casey's  head  under  water  and  half 
strangled  him,  and  soon  the  man  began  to  vomit.  Twice 
more  Buck  stopped  for  this  purpose,  and  after  the  second 
time  Casey  gave  signs  of  consciousness,  and  muttered 
something  incoherent  about  Farragut.  On  Buck  swam, 
pushing  with  his  left  hand,  swimming  with  his  right  hand. 

Soon  his  left  hand  became  numb;  he  changed  hands. 
Both  hands  became  numb,  and  he  felt  both  of  his  feet  get- 
ting numb.  He  looked  at  the  light  on  the  island  so  far 
away. 

"  It's  no  use.     It  can't  be  done.     I'll  keep  on  all  the 


i 

BUCK  PROVES  HIS  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  CASEY      175 

same,"  he  groaned,  and  he  doggedly  swam  harder,  avoid- 
ing looking  at  the  light  so  far  away.  He  was  thinking 
how  lonely  and  cold  and  dark  it  was  when  he  was  startled 
by  a  noise  not  very  far  away.  "  It's  a  whale.  No,  it's 
a  porpoise.  There's  a  school  of  them."  Superstitious 
thoughts  passed  over  him. 

"  They  are  after  me ;  coming  to  avenge  their  comrade 
that  I  harpooned."  It  sounded  to  Buck  as  though  there 
were  a  hundred  of  them ;  two  passed  very  close,  one  almost 
grazed  his  legs.  Buck  shuddered,  then  almost  laughed  at 
himself.  A  porpoise  had  never  been  known  to  attack  a 
man.  They  were  heading  his  way.  "  I  wish  I  could  hitch 
on  to  one  of  them,"  he  thought,  and  he  was  almost  smil- 
ing at  the  idea  of  driving  a  porpoise  like  a  team  when 
his  thoughts  were  brought  back  with  a  shock.  A  big 
creature  came  from  ahead  and  paused  but  a  few  feet 
away,  then  passed  close,  and  Buck  saw  it  turn  and  follow 
them. 

It  was  a  shark!  A  sudden  terror  seized  Buck.  He 
kicked  the  water  furiously;  the  shark  stopped  for  a  mo- 
ment, then  came  on  closer,  still  edging  over  to  Casey's 
side. 

Buck  jerked  Casey  over  to  the  other  side  and  kicked 
furiously.  He  felt  his  numb  toes  strike  the  shark's  head. 
It  drew  off  for  a  time  into  the  shadows  of  the  night,  then 
came  forward  on  Casey's  side  again.  Buck's  anger  was 
rising. 

"  The  coward,  he's  after  Casey  because  he's  helpless." 

Buck  got  Casey's  jackknife  and  lanyard,  and  with 
his  teeth  and  one  hand  opened  the  big  blade,  easing  up 
on  his  kicking.  The  monster  swam  up  closer  and  closer, 
turned  on  his  back,  his  belly  showing  white,  and  struck 
straight  to  take  Casey  about  at  the  hips.  They  were  ris- 
ing on  the  slope  of  a  sea  swell.  Buck  dashed  into  the 


176  BUCK  JONES   AT   ANNAPOLIS 

swell,  and  they  were  carried  over.  To  his  infinite  relief 
the  shark,  startled  perhaps  by  his  cries  and  the  motions  of 
his  limbs,  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Buck  breathed  more 
freely  once  more,  gathering  renewed  strength  from  this 
passing  of  a  grave  danger. 

Buck  swam  on  and  on.  The  numbness  gradually  crept 
up  from  his  ankles  and  his  wrists. 

"  When  it  reaches  the  body  I  suppose  something  will 
happen,"  he  reflected,  but  there  was  no  dread  in  his  heart. 
He  was  surprised  at  himself  that  there  was  not ;  but  in  the 
dive  for  Casey  his  spirit  had  subdued  circumstance.  He 
would  keep  on  as  long  as  he  could  move  a  muscle.  And 
on  he  swam.  The  numbness  crept  up,  on  above  his  knees 
and  the  elbows,  but  still  he  swam.  It  seemed  that  he  had 
been  swimming  for  days.  The  light  seemed  considerably 
nearer,  but  he  thought  that  probably  they  hadn't  made 
more  than  a  mile  and  a  half.  He  swam  on.  He  couldn't 
understand  the  light,  and  wondered  if  his  senses  were  af- 
fected. It  didn't  look  a  mile  away.  And  on  he  swam. 
Suddenly  he  cried  aloud : 

"  I  can't  be  mistaken.  There  it  is.  I  can  see  the  top 
outline  of  the  tower.  Oh !  it's  the  tide,  it's  the  tide  that 
has  brought  us !  "  His  heart  leaped  with  joy,  but  almost 
instantly  sank.  "  It's  sweeping  us  by.  It'll  sweep  us  out 
to  sea,"  he  moaned.  He  redoubled  his  efforts.  They  were 
steadily  passing  by.  Still  on  the  tide  bore  them,  though 
the  land  was  not  a  hundred  yards  away.  Oh,  the  anguish 
of  failure  as  victory  was  almost  in  grasp ! 

Buck  shook  Casey. 

"  Casey !  Casey !  !  Could  you  swim  a  little  ?  Try  to 
swim  !  Try  to  swim !  " 

Casey  seemed  to  understand  and  tried  to  move  his 
arms  and  legs,  but  they  were  stiff.  It  was  useless.  They 
were  nearing  the  outmost  point.  The  current  was  run- 


BUCK  PROVES  HIS  FRIENDSHIP  FOR  CASEY       177 

ning  faster.  They  would  pass  within  fifty  yards  of  the 
point.  Buck  heard  an  insidious  whisper  in  his  ear: 

"  You  could  make  it  by  yourself." 

"  No,  I  can't  leave  Casey." 

"  You've  done  your  best,"  whispered  the  voice. 

"  No,  no,  I  won't  leave  him ;  I  won't." 

"  But  he  is  old.  He  would  probably  die  from  this 
exposure,  anyhow.  It's  all  his  fault.  You  are  young  and 
life  is  sweet.  He  is  alone.  You  have  a  mother  and 
father  and  brothers  and  sisters.  You  owe  it  to  them  as 
well  as  yourself." 

They  were  now  passing  the  point. 

"  O  God !  help  me  to  be  true."  Buck  felt  so  cold  and 
so  tired.  The  shore  so  close  at  hand  was  infinitely  tempt- 
ing. "It's  the  last  chance.  Go!  Go!  !  Go!  !  !" 
prompted  the  voice. 

"  Never !    Never !  !    Never !  !  !  "  he  cried  aloud. 

He  ground  his  teeth  together,  put  his  head  against  the 
buoy,  face  down,  and  with  a  revolving  overhand  stroke 
with  both  hands  made  a  final  supreme  effort.  The  spirit- 
ual victory  seemed  to  double  his  physical  strength.  His 
stroke  was  furious,  as  though  he  had  not  already  been 
through  enough  to  exhaust  a  dozen  men.  He  raised  his 
head  to  get  a  breath,  but  never  lost  a  stroke  and  never 
stopped  to  glance  at  the  land.  He  was  going  at  this  fu- 
rious stroke  when  he  felt  a  dull  pain  in  his  toe.  The 
cramps  at  last !  He  knew  it  would  soon  be  over  when  the 
dreaded  cramps  set  in.  He  took  a  breath  and  plunged  in, 
face  down,  and  drove  his  stroke  yet  higher.  The  other 
foot  felt  a  shock.  It  was  an  obstacle.  Then  both  feet. 

Casey  dragged.  Buck  looked  up;  they  were  in  the 
cove !  The  furious  spurt  had  brought  them  in  till  they 
reached  the  eddy  or  counter  current  behind  the  point 
which  swept  in  close  to  the  shore. 


178  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  stood  up.  The  water  was  waist  deep.  He  soon 
recognized  the  cove  where  he  and  Preble  had  gone  in  bath- 
ing. Casey  could  not  stand.  Buck  took  him  on  his  shoul- 
ders. The  clock  struck  two  as  he  roused  the  startled  in- 
mates of  the  cottage  on  the  point 


CHAPTEE    XIII 

BUCK  FINDS  HIMSELF  A  HERO 

IT  was  about  nine  o'clock  when  the  tug  returned  to  the 
Navy  Yard,  with  Buck  and  Casey  on  board. 

The  intermittent  firing  had  roused  the  country- 
side, and  as  the  cause  became  known  a  deep  gloom  settled 
upon  the  Navy  Yard.  All  were  surprised  when  the  fir- 
ing ceased  as  they  reached  the  Isle  of  Shoals,  and  when 
the  tug  was  sighted  on  its  premature  return  everybody 
went  down  to  the  wharf. 

"  They're  both  on  board,  doing  well,"  answered  Sur- 
geon Woodgate  to  the  anxious  questions  as  the  tug  drew 
near. 

They  brought  Casey  off  on  a  stretcher,  wrapped  in 
blankets,  looking  like  a  corpse.  Buck  came  over  the  side 
unaided,  with  a  broad  boyish  smile  for  those  who  greeted 
him,  although  his  lips  and  face  were  still  blue  and  his 
cheeks  and  eyes  were  sunken;  his  legs  and  feet  were  in 
bandages.  Woodgate  hastened  to  the  Captain  to  report. 

"  They  are  both  doing  well,  sir.  There  must  have 
been  apo-morphine  in  the  drug  the  villains  used;  it  kept 
Casey's  heart  going.  The  circulation  had  practically 
stopped  in  his  arms  and  legs,  but  Mr.  Jones  procured 
prompt  medical  assistance.  We  found  Mr.  Jones  and  the 
two  physicians  on  the  island  working  to  restore  the  circu- 
lation. The  stupor  reduced  the  nervous  shock.  If  we 
can  keep  the  heart  going  for  twenty-four  hours,  he'll  prob- 
ably come  around  all  right  in  spite  of  his  age." 

179 


180  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  How  about  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  He's  all  right,  sir.  I  am  going  to  write  his  case 
up  for  the  medical  journal.  He  was  five  hours  in  the 
cold  water.  His  feet  and  legs  were  considerably  lacerated 
by  the  barnacles  and  rocks,  as  he  groped  his  way  in  the 
dark  with  Casey  on  his  shoulders." 

"  Ask  him  to  come  to  the  cabin  when  he  is  com- 
fortable." 

"  Report  to  the  Captain,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  Woodgate, 
as  he  came  into  the  sick  bay.  When  Buck  reached  the 
cabin,  the  Commandant  of  the  Yard  had  come  on  board 
and  was  talking  earnestly  with  the  Captain.  They  paused 
as  Buck  entered. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  have  overstayed  my  liberty,  sir." 

"  Never  mind  that.  Would  you  mind  telling  me  about 
your  adventure  ? " 

Buck  told  them  very  briefly. 

"  You  can  stay  on  the  sick  list  till  further  orders." 

"  I'd  rather  not  go  on  the  sick  list,  sir.  I'm  feeling 
all  right.  I  wish,  however,  you  would  let  me  go  ashore 
after  those  scoundrels.  They  might  get  away  if  we 
wait." 

The  two  officers  caught  the  resolute  look  in  Buck's 
eyes.  It  was  agreed  that  the  tug  would  take  him  over 
at  once. 

"  Civilian's  clothes  would  be  best,  so  they  won't  sus- 
pect, but  I  have  none." 

"  I'll  fit  you  out."  And  Carrington  ushered  Buck 
into  his  stateroom.  "  A  little  big  for  you,  Mr.  Jones,  par- 
ticularly the  coat,  but  they  will  answer.  I'm  afraid  I 
can't  help  you  out  in  shoes." 

Buck  had  big  feet  naturally;  with  the  swelling  and 
bandages  they  looked  enormous.  He  saw  the  twinkle  in 
the  Captain's  eye. 


BUCK   FINDS  HIMSELF  A  HERO  181 

"  Tell  the  yeoman  to  issue  you  a  pair  if  there  is  a 
pair  on  board  large  enough." 

Both  smiled.  The  officer  of  the  deck  smiled,  too,  when 
Buck  saluted  and  went  down  the  gang  plank  with  a  pair 
of  "  specials,  number  fourteen,"  on,  and  with  the  big 
coat  bulging  out  with  a  big  service  Colt's  revolver  in  each 
side  pocket. 

The  Commandant  went  over  on  the  tug.  He  was  as 
eager  as  Buck  to  see  the  thugs  captured.  On  the  way 
over  he  had  Buck  write  out  and  sign  in  his  presence  a 
full  detailed  description  of  the  two  men.  After  this  Buck 
went  down  to  the  boiler  room  to  make  sure  of  his  re- 
volvers. 

"  The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  make  a  man  throw  up  his 
hands.  I'll  have  to  drill  my  left  hand."  He  exercised 
his  left  hand;  then  he  rehearsed  with  both  hands  at  the 
same  time,  pressing  the  triggers  to  make  the  self-cocking 
hammers  come  back  together  till  on  the  edge  of  firing, 
then  easing  them  down  again. 

As  they  stepped  off  the  tug  a  gentleman  complimented 
the  Commandant  upon  the  miraculous  rescue.  The  Com- 
mandant bowed,  but  said  nothing. 

"  I'm  afraid,  Commodore,  it  is  already  widely  known 
on  shore.  Maybe  they  have  already  fled  the  city." 

"  I  was  thinking  the  same  thing  myself,  Mr.  Jones." 

At  that  moment  they  heard  the  incoming  "  Boston 
Limited  "  whistle. 

"  I'm  going  to  the  depot,"  said  Buck  quickly.  "  I'll 
call  you  up  at  police  headquarters,"  and  he  was  off  to  the 
right  at  a  trot,  dragging  his  big  shoes.  His  feet  began 
to  ache,  but  he  kept  up  his  trot  till  he  reached  the  sta- 
tion, panting,  as  the  passengers  were  going  on  board.  He 
climbed  on  the  rear  sleeper  and  started  through,  looking 
at  the  passengers  from  the  rear  as  he  went.  He  had 


182  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

scarcely  entered  the  second  Pullman  when  he  saw  the  two 
men  quietly  arranging  themselves. 

"  No  doubt  about  it,"  he  murmured,  as  his  heart  be- 
gan to  slow  down  a  little.  He  left  the  train  and  hurried 
to  the  'phone  booth. 

"  Police  headquarters.     Quick !  " 

There  was  no  excitement  in  the  voice,  but  Central 
dropped  everything  and  gave  him  the  wire. 

"  Police  headquarters  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  The  Commodore,  please." 

"  Here  he  is." 

"  I  have  them,  sir,  on  the  Limited.  She  is  pulling 
out.  Flag  her  before  she  gets  out  of  town.  If  too  late, 
then  the  first  stop.  Find  us  in  the  next  to  rear  sleeper. 
I'll  stay  with  them." 

The  'phone  snapped  before  the  Commodore  could  say 
a  word,  and  Buck  rushed  out  and  caught  the  rear  steps 
as  the  Limited  pulled  out.  He  went  quietly  forward  and 
sat  down  in  the  seat  just  in  front  of  the  men,  pretending 
not  to  notice  them.  As  he  passed,  his  pulse  slowed  down 
again.  That  phlegmatic  feeling  came  over  him.  His 
whole  being  concentrated  on  the  situation.  He  looked 
out  of  the  window,  and  with  a  side  glance  scanned  the 
men.  The  one  with  the  scar  slapped  the  other  on  the 
knee. 

"  We're  off,  old  pal.     We're  too  smart  for  them." 

Buck  noted  the  speed  as  it  increased;  they  crossed 
street  after  street  and  reached  the  suburbs. 

"  I  suppose  it  was  too  late,"  said  Buck. 

At  that  moment  the  train  whistled  and  began  to  slow 
down.  The  two  men  became  nervous.  The  brakeman 
came  hurrying  back. 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  asked  the  snaggle-tooth  man. 


BUCK  FINDS  HIMSELF  A  HERO  183 

"  Don't  know,  sir.  They've  thrown  the  block  on  us." 
The  brakeman  passed  on  to  the  rear. 

Buck  looked  out  of  the  window.  The  men  became 
restless  as  the  train  came  to  a  stop.  Buck  put  his  hands 
in  his  pockets  and  gripped  the  revolvers,  playing  with  the 
triggers. 

The  men  glanced  around  the  car.  Buck  noticed  both 
of  them  feel  their  inside  breast  pockets. 

One  of  them  stood  up,  then  sat  down  again.  Soon  a 
clatter  began  to  be  heard.  Both  men  listened  breathlessly. 
It  became  louder. 

"  A  fire  ?  "  questioned  the  snaggle-toothed  man.  !No 
answer  from  the  other  as  he  listened. 

"  It's  the  patrol."  They  both  crouched  down  and 
glanced  at  the  doors. 

"  The  window  is  best,"  said  the  man  with  the  scar, 
as  he  began  to  raise  the  inside  window.  He  raised  it  full 
up,  then  raised  the  other  window  likewise  and  paused 
to  look. 

Buck  slowly  drew  the  revolvers,  keeping  them  close  to 
the  back  of  the  seat,  and  turned  slowly  around  and  got 
on  his  knees  on  the  seat,  keeping  down  low. 

"  There  it  comes !     The  patrol !     Let's  jump  off !  " 

Both  rose  and  turned  toward  the  window. 

"Halt!    Hands  up!" 

They  turned  to  find  Buck's  revolvers  resting  on  the 
back  of  the  seat  and  leveled.  Both  reached  for  their  breast 
pockets. 

"  Try  it,  if  you  dare,"  and  Buck  played  on  the  trig- 
gers. The  men  saw  the  hammers  go  back.  Crouched 
down  behind  the  seat,  Buck  had  the  double  drop  on  them, 
and  they  threw  their  hands  up  quickly. 

"  The  man  that  moves  a  muscle  is  a  dead  man !  " 

They  understood  what  such  words  meant,  spoken  with 


184  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

such  firm  determination.  They  little  realized  that  it  was 
only  a  country  boy,  not  long  in  his  teens,  who  had  never 
been  known  to  use  such  threats  before. 

The  passengers  were  in  consternation,  as  three  police- 
men came  simultaneously  through  each  door. 

"  You  caught  them  going  through  the  window  ? " 
asked  the  first  sergeant  to  arrive. 

"  Yes,  as  they  started.  Their  guns  are  in  their  breast 
pockets,  sergeant." 

Buck  remained  as  motionless  as  a  setter  dog  pointing. 

"  Well  done,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  the  Commodore,  as  he 
came  up  while  the  men  were  being  disarmed,  two  revolv- 
ers and  a  long  dagger  being  taken  from  each. 

"  We've  been  wanting  you  both  for  some  time,"  re- 
marked the  sergeant. 

"  I'd  like  to  know  what  for.  We're  going  to  bring 
suit  for  your  arresting  peaceful  citizens  on  the  train  this 
way.  We  were  only  opening  the  windows  to  get  some 
fresh  air." 

Buck  marveled  at  the  coolness  and  resourcefulness  of 
the  ruffians.  It  was  of  no  avail,  however.  Buck's  com- 
plete identification  and  detailed  testimony  led  to  their 
conviction  and  sentence  to  twenty  years  in  the  peniten- 
tiary. 

The  Constellation  was  scheduled  to  sail  the  next  day, 
August  3d,  but  put  off  the  date  in  order  to  let  Casey  iden- 
tify the  prisoners  and  give  his  testimony. 

That  morning  Woodgate  reported  to  the  Captain  on 
Casey's  condition.  "  He  is  recovering  rapidly,  sir,  and 
will  be  able  to  testify  to-morrow  or  next  day.  But  he  still 
refuses  to  take  any  brandy  or  whisky  to  stimulate  his  cir- 
culation. It's  a  touching  case.  At  times  he  weeps  like  a 
woman  when  anyone  speaks  of  Mr.  Jones.  '  It  didn't 


BUCK  FINDS  HIMSELF  A   HERO  185 

matter  very  much  about  my  old  hulk/  he  said  to  me  as  I 
prescribed  the  dose  of  whisky,  f  the  liquor  wrecked  me  long 
ago,  but  if  it  hadn't  been  for  a  miracle  it  would  have 
brought  the  lad  to  his  death.  No,  doctor,  I'll  not  take  a 
drop,  if  going  without  it  costs  me  my  life,'  and  it  was 
useless  to  insist.  When  I  sent  him  an  eggnog,  he  detected 
the  liquor  flavor  and  poured  the  whole  thing  into  the 
scupper." 

About  noon  the  orderly  brought  a  telegram  to  Buck, 
"  The  Captain's  compliments.  He  has  wired  an  answer, 
but  suggests  that  you  wire  also."  Buck  read  the  tele- 
gram anxiously;  it  was  dated  Sumter,  Ala.,  August  3d, 
9  A.M.,  and  addressed  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the 
U.  S.  S.  Constellation,  Portsmouth,  N".  H.  Buck's  heart 
leaped.  It  read :  "  Telegram  from  Montgomery  reports 
my  son,  B.  P.  Jones,  in  adventure  and  subjected  to  long 
exposure  in  water.  Please  wire  his  present  condition." 
Signed  Robin  Jones. 

It  was  warm  and  fresh,  and  tears  came  to  Buck's  eyes 
as  he  thought  of  his  father  and  mother  and  all  the  dear 
ones  at  home.  He  wired  back :  "  Am  all  right.  So  is 
Casey.  Love  for  all.  Buck." 

"  I'm  so  glad  I  was  true  and  didn't  give  up.  I  could 
never  have  looked  my  father  in  the  face  again." 

Buck's  young  nature  with  its  great  elasticity  had 
already  recovered  its  normal  condition  and  he  had  thrown 
off  the  incident,  but  now  and  then  he  thought  of  the 
temptation  that  had  come  over  him. 

"  A  thousand  times  better  to  be  dead,"  and  he  shud- 
dered at  the  thought.  "  I  might  have  given  way.  I  think 
I  would  have  given  way  if  God  hadn't  helped  me." 

The  thought  made  him  very  humble  in  the  midst  of 
all  the  praise  and  showers  of  congratulations  that  began 

coming  in  that  afternoon.      Among  others,  there  was  a 
13 


186  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

telegram  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  later  from 
the  President  of  the  United  States.  Correspondents 
flocked  on  board  and  insisted  on  interviews.  Buck  was 
greatly  relieved  when  the  ship  sailed  on  the  5th  and  he 
could  get  away  from  it  all. 

After  the  ship  had  dropped  the  tug  and  stood  away 
under  all  plain  sail  to  the  southeast,  Buck  went  down  to 
the  sick  bay  to  see  Casey. 

"  We're  off,  Casey ;  we're  off.  Isn't  it  fine  to  get  to 
sea  again  ? " 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Jones.  I  catch  the  whiff  of  the  brine.  It 
puts  new  strength  in  me.  My  old  bones  are  beginning  to 
limber  up  again."  Then,  after  a  pause,  Casey  continued : 
"  I  was  wondering,  Mr.  Jones,  how  you  could  take  all 
that  trouble  for  an  old  derelict  like  me,"  and  they  began 
talking  over  the  experience  in  the  water.  Finally,  Buck 
made  a  clean  breast  of  it. 

"  Twice  I  was  base  enough  to  think  of  leaving  you, 
Casey,  and  I  cried  out  to  God — without  help  I'm  sure  I 
would  have  failed.  But  I  would  never  have  known  a 
happy  moment  again." 

There  was  a  long  pause.  Buck  saw  a  strange  but  ten- 
der look  in  Casey's  eyes. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  do  you  believe  in  God  ?  I  had  given  up 
the  belief  long  ago." 

"  Yes,  Casey.  At  times,  as  I  reason,  it  seems  I  doubt, 
but  I  don't  think  I'll  doubt  any  more.  My  mother  is 
right.  There  is  a  God  and  God  is  good,  and  we  must  try 
to  do  our  part."  Somehow,  tears  came  to  Buck's  eyes, 
he  hardly  knew  why.  Ordinarily  he  would  have  been 
ashamed.  Casey  took  him  by  the  hand.  There  was 
moisture  in  the  old  sailor's  eyes,  too.  Their  souls  held 
hands  as  they  touched  the  infinite  together. 


CHAPTER    XIV 

BUCK    SHOWS    PROFICIENCY    IN    UNEXPECTED    WAYS 

THE  next  day  was  Sunday.   When  Buck  was  leaving 
the  washroom,  Stratford  called  him  back. 
"  Turn  the  basin  on  full !  " 

Buck  turned  the  water  on. 

"  Draw  a  deep  breath !  " 

Buck  drew  a  deep  breath. 

"  When  I  say  '  three ! '  I  want  you  to  dive  for  Casey. 
And  don't  you  come  up  till  you  have  him." 

A  smile  twittered  about  Buck's  lips. 

"  Wipe  off  that  smile !  It's  no  laughing  matter  to 
dive  for  a  drowning  man." 

Buck  wiped  the  smile  off  and  tried  to  look  solemn. 

"  Are  you  ready  ?    One — two — three — dive !  " 

Buck  soused  his  head  in  the  basin  till  the  water  came 
up  to  his  ears  and  ran  out  over  the  deck. 

"  Search  for  him !    Search  for  him !  !  " 

Buck  moved  his  head  around  and  reached  down  his 
arms,  as  though  searching  under  water. 

"  Have  you  found  him  ?  " 

Buck  nodded  his  head. 

"  Then  bring  him  up !  " 

Buck  held  his  left  hand  out,  closed  as  though  holding 
on  to  an  object,  and  pawed  the  air  with  his  right  hand  as 
though  swimming  for  the  surface.,  then  threw  his  head 

187 


188  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

up  out  of  the  basin  with  a  swing  that  sent  the  water  flying. 
Stratford  roared  and  Buck  laughed  behind  his  hands  as 
he  wiped  the  water  from  his  face. 

"  Well  done,  Mr.  Jones.  Now  go  through  the  drill 
in  one  motion.  Stand  by,  dive  for  Casey !  " 

Buck  soused  down,  searched,  and  came  up  with  great 
precision. 

"  Come  here,  Moble,  and  see  the  new  drill,"  called 
out  Stratford. 

Moble,  who  was  passing,  came  in.  When  he  saw  Buck 
go  through  the  process  he  almost  split  his  sides,  and  went 
to  the  washroom  door  and  called  in  all  the  upper  class- 
men about  the  deck.  Again  and  again  Buck  went  through 
the  process,  and  the  realism  kept  the  upper  classmen  in 
gales  of  laughter.  Some  of  the  plebes  became  curious 
and  sidled  up  that  way  to  discover  what  was  going  on. 
Stratford  spied  them. 

"  Come  here,  Mr.  Billerson !  Come  here,  Mr.  Pike- 
man!  Come  here,  Mr.  Rix!  Come  here,  all  of  you  ig- 
norant plebes  and  learn  the  latest  drill !  " 

Curiosity  gave  way  to  consternation  as  the  plebes 
came  among  the  laughing  upper  classmen. 

"  The  drill  is  called  '  Dive  for  Casey.'  It  is  done  in 
three  motions — dive,  search  for  him,  bring  him  up.  Mr. 
Jones,  show  these  eager  plebes  how  to  do  it.  In  three 
motions,  dive  for  Casey.  Stand  by;  dive;  search  for 
him!" 

Buck  searched. 

"  Bring  him  up !  " 

Buck  brought  him  up. 

"  Squad,  take  your  basins !  " 

The  plebes  distributed  themselves,  each  to  a  basin. 

"  Fill  them  full !    Are  you  ready  ?  " 

"  In  three  motions,  dive  for  Casey.     Stand  by,  dive ! 


BUCK  SHOWS  PROFICIENCY  189 

Put  your  head  in  deeper,  Mr.  Pikeman.  What  do  you 
mean,  Mr.  Billerson,  by  strangling  yourself  like  a  baby  ?  " 

They  all  stood  up  dripping. 

"  Try  that  first  motion  over  again.  Stand  by,  dive ! 
Search  for  him  !  " 

The  upper  classmen  roared  at  the  awkward  movements. 

"  You'll  never  find  him  at  that  rate,  Mr.  Pikeman. 
Reach  out  and  feel  for  him.  Bring  him  up !  " 

They  came  up  together  panting  and  dripping. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  you  are  proficient ;  I'll  make  you  captain 
of  the  squad.  Now  drill  the  others  until  they  are  compe- 
tent to  do  the  drill  in  one  motion." 

Buck  proceeded  to  give  the  orders  and  the  drill 
progressed  well,  except  in  the  case  of  Pikeman,  who 
slouched  over  the  motions. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  you'll  have  to  have  an  awkward  squad 
for  Mr.  Pikeman.  Give  him  special  drill.  Go  ahead 
with  him,  Mr.  Jones." 

And  Buck  put  Pikeman  through  the  drill  alone. 
Everybody  roared,  including  the  dripping  plebes,  as  they 
watched  Pikeman  as  he  came  up  puffing  and  blowing  like 
a  porpoise,  black  in  the  face  with  anger. 

When  the  crowd  broke  up  to  get  ready  for  quarters, 
Buck  heard  Pikeman  say  to  Ninman : 

"  It's  all  Jones's  fault.  I'll  get  even  with  him  yet." 
Everybody  else  was  in  great  humor. 

"  We  give  you  the  prize,  Stratford,"  said  Moble ; 
" '  Dive  for  Casey '  is  the  best  drill  ever  invented  for  a 
plebe." 

"  I  got  it  up  to  see  if  Mr.  Jones's  head  had  been 
turned." 

Stratford  builded  greater  than  he  knew.  "  Dive  for 
Casey  "  became  the  favorite  form  of  "  running "  at  the 
Academy.  If  there  were  no  basin  or  tub  at  hand,  the 


190  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

luckless  plebe  would  have  to  dive  into  the  wardrobe  or 
under  the  table  or  in  a  locker. 

It  was  the  first  Sunday  in  the  month,  and  after  quar- 
ters and  general  inspection  all  hands  were  called  aft  on 
the  quarter-deck  to  hear  the  Articles  of  War.  Buck  had 
heard  the  Articles  of  War  twice  before,  the  first  Sunday 
in  July  and  the  first  Sunday  in  June ;  but  they  had  not 
made  the  impression  they  did  this  time.  He  was  par- 
ticularly impressed  with  the  clause  that  called  on  every- 
one in  the  naval  service  "  to  set  a  good  example  of  so- 
briety, of  virtue,  honor,  patriotism,  and  subordination," 
and  with  the  clause,  "  It  is  earnestly  enjoined  upon  all 
officers  and  enlisted  men  diligently  to  attend  upon  every 
occasion  the  worship  of  Almighty  God."  Though  still  a 
boy  all  over,  Buck  had  recently  sounded  to  a  great  depth 
in  the  ocean  of  life. 

At  church  service  everybody  was  surprised  to  see  Gasey 
come  out  of  the  sick  bay  and  take  a  seat.  It  is  true  his 
seat  was  back  in  the  rear,  but  no  one  had  seen  Casey  come 
aft  to  church  service  at  all  for  twenty  years.  He  seemed 
to  take  no  part  in  the  service,  but  a  close  observer  could 
have  seen  his  eyes  light  up  as  he  watched  Buck.  The 
boy  had  opened  up  a  new  depth  in  the  life  of  the  old 
Bailor. 

The  ship  headed  almost  due  south  for  three  days,  with 
a  moderate  breeze  from  the  east.  Wednesday  night  the 
rumor  went  around  that  the  Captain  had  said  that  if  the 
breeze  moderated  a  little,  he  intended  to  have  target  prac- 
tice. Buck  was  all  eagerness  through  the  morning  watch, 
as  the  day  dawned  clear  and  bright  and  the  breeze  went 
down. 

The  carpenter's  gang  came  up  on  the  forecastle  about 
six  bells  and  began  to  rig  the  target.  Crossplanks  were 


BUCK   SHOWS  PROFICIENCY  191 

lashed  to  casks;  a  pole  about  eight  feet  high  was  erected 
from  the  middle;  canvas  wings  attached  to  guys  were 
lashed  to  the  top  of  the  pole  and  carried  out  to  the  ends 
of  the  planks;  the  center  was  painted  black  so  that  no 
matter  what  side  might  be  turned,  it  would  be  a  white 
triangular  target  with  a  large  black  bull's  eye.  A  solid 
shot  was  hung  from  the  bottom  of  the  pole,  and  a  strap 
with  a  toggle  was  secured  to  the  top  to  hoist  the  target 
over  the  side  with  a  yard-arm  whip. 

It  was  all  ready  for  letting  go,  when  at  three  bells 
Casey  assembled  the  boatswain's  mates  and  all  piped  to- 
gether : 

"  All  hands  clear  ship  for  action !  " 

Buck's  blood  bounded  as  he  rushed  to  his  duties,  and 
he  marveled  at  the  wonderful  activity  that  quickly  cleared 
the  decks  and  provided  the  precautionary  measures  for 
the  contingencies  of  battle.  He  saw  the  target  dropped 
overboard  as  the  bugles  sounded  to  quarters,  and  he  rushed 
down  to  his  gun. 

"  Cast  loose  and  provide !  " 

He  rushed  to  the  magazine  hatch  with  his  pouch,  and 
this  time  brought  3  charge  of  powder  in  a  long  canvas 
bag.  He  had  never  seen  so  much  powder  before. 

"Load!" 

He  jumped  out  to  the  port  and  opened  the  pouch  for 
the  loaders  to  get  the  charge,  was  off  to  the  hatch  and  back 
with  another  charge  before  the  shell  had  been  driven  home. 

"  Range,  one  thousand  yards." 

The  sight  bars  were  adjusted. 

"  Fire  in  turn,  beginning  aft !  " 

Looking  out  of  the  port,  Buck  saw  the  target  come 
into  view  on  the  quarter.  It  looked  very  small.  He  heard 
the  captain  of  Number  Twelve  Gun,  the  next  gun  aft,  say, 
"  Ready !  "  Then  a  crash  came.  Buck's  head  was  too  far 


192  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

out  of  the  port  and  the  shock  almost  threw  him  to  the  deck. 
He  thought  his  ear  drums  were  broken.  But  as  the  smoke 
quickly  drifted  by,  he  heard  Dott  call  out: 

"  Short  and  to  the  right.  Range,  twelve  hundred 
yards." 

Fonste,  Buck's  gun  captain,  readjusted  his  sight  bar. 

"  Lower — lower — handsomely — well — right  hand  spike 
— ready — fire !  "  A  terrific  crash  !  The  monster  gun  re- 
coiled and  was  brought  up  by  the  heavy  breeching.  The 
crew  gazed  out  of  the  port.  Buck  saw  the  shell  rise,  higher, 
higher,  getting  smaller  and  smaller.  It  seemed  heading 
straight  for  the  target,  but  then  seemed  to  drift  to  the 
right.  It  struck  to  the  right  and  short,  exploding  as  it 
struck. 

"  Still  short,  and  to  the  right.  Range,  fourteen  hun- 
dred yards." 

Soon  Number  Eight  fired. 

"  Still  short,  and  to  the  right.  Range,  fifteen  hundred 
yards." 

Number  Six  fired. 

"  To  the  right  and  over." 

Buck  watched  with  fascination  each  shell  fired.  Sev- 
eral exploded  in  the  air,  the  fuse  being  cut  too  short. 
Several  struck  and  ricochetted,  a  thing  that  made  Buck 
wonder.  But  all  seemed  to  drop  to  the  right. 

"  Fire  by  battery.     Port  battery  aim." 

Buck  stood  on  his  tiptoes.  All  the  guns  on  the  port 
side  were  being  laid. 

"Ready!     Fire!  !" 

Twelve  guns  belched  fire.  The  ship  vibrated.  Every 
timber  shook.  Buck  imagined  that  it  was  the  Constitution 
hurling  her  broadside  against  the  Guerriere.  He  jumped 
to  the  port,  expecting  to  find  the  target  destroyed.  The 
smoke  still  shrouded  the  ship  as  he  heard  the  shells  ex- 


BUCK  SHOWS  PROFICIENCY  193 

ploding,  and  when  it  lifted  he  was  sorely  disappointed  to 
see  the  target  was  still  riding  untouched,  while  the  little 
puffs  of  smoke  were  drifting  over  it,  and  a  few  shells  that 
did  not  explode  were  still  making  waterspouts,  ricochet- 
ting  far  beyond. 

"  Each  gun  fire  two  shots  at  will." 

All  the  gun  captains  knew  this  would  be  the  end. 

Buck  noticed  decided  improvement  in  the  shots.  One 
that  Casey  fired  splashed  water  on  the  target.  Fonste 
fired  a  deliberate  shot,  which  again  fell  to  the  right  and  a 
little  short. 

"  The  next  is  our  last,"  warned  one  of  the  crew. 

"  I'll  do  my  best,"  said  Fonste.  "  But  I  can't  quite 
understand  how  they  keep  falling  to  the  right."  And  he 
went  off  to  consult  the  officer  of  the  division  about  making 
an  allowance  in  his  sight  bar. 

"  The  first  division  has  finished,  sir." 

"  The  second  division  has  finished,  sir." 

All  had  finished  but  Gun  Number  Ten.  Buck  was 
looking  over  the  gun  to  see  how  the  target  looked  through 
the  sight.  He  picked  up  the  lanyard  and  began  to  tauten 
it  to  see  how  it  felt. 

The  gun  was  laid,  all  except  the  last  touches  of  the 
hand  spikes.  The  target  was  a  little  off  to  the  right. 
Buck  practiced  catching  the  moment  when  the  ship  was 
at  the  end  of  a  roll.  He  noticed  that  she  was  swinging 
slowly.  The  target  drew  nearer  to  the  line  of  sight. 

"  If  I  were  firing,  I'd  allow  for  its  continually  going 
to  the  right."  He  had  made  such  allowances  for  quail 
and  duck  on  the  wing.  He  did  not  understand  the  strange, 
irresistible  impulse  that  came  over  him.  It  may  have  been 
hypnotic. 

The  lanyard  was  taut.  The  sight  pointed  a  little  to 
the  left  of  the  target.  The  ship  quivered,  motionless  on 


194  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

an  even  keel.  Now  is  the  time.  The  temptation  was  too 
great.  "  Here  goes,  come  what  may !  "  He  threw  his 
weight  back  on  the  lanyard.  The  fire  flashed,  the  gun  re- 
coiled, upsetting  several  members  of  the  crew  who  were 
not  expecting  it.  Fonste  came  running  over. 

"  How  did  the  accident  occur  ? " 

Pikeman  pointed  to  Buck,  who  was  half  out  of  the 
port  watching  the  flight  of  the  shell.  Even  to  a  seasoned 
gunner  there  is  always  a  keen  fascination  in  watching  the 
flight  of  a  projectile  he  has  fired.  Buck  was  entranced. 
The  shell  seemed  very  slow,  heading  to  the  left,  rising 
very  high,  back  to  the  right,  and  sinking  downward  in  its 
flight.  Buck  Ireld  his  breath.  The  shell  exploded.  The 
target  vanished.  A  shout  went  up  all  over  the  ship. 

"  Well  done,  Number  Ten,"  came  the  voice  of  the  first 
lieutenant.  "  Secure." 

"  He  ought  to  have  been  court-martialed.  He  might 
have  killed  half  the  crew,"  said  Pikeman  to  Ninman  that 
night.  "  I  was  sitting  over  the  cabin  skylight  and  heard  it 
all.  Jones  confessed  he  was  wrong  and  said  he  would 
take  the  punishment.  But  Carrington  only  warned  him, 
and,  when  he  was  gone,  broke  out  into  a  laugh.  Just  wait 
till  we  get  our  class  organization.  Then  we'll  check 
him." 

The  weather  was  ideal  during  the  rest  of  the  cruise, 
and  the  ship  passed  in  the  Capes  and  anchored  off  Fortress 
Monroe  on  August  20th — the  schedule  date.  The  Phlox 
was  there  waiting  with  mail  and  fresh  provisions,  includ- 
ing a  load  of  watermelons,  which  combined  with  the  letters 
to  make  Buck  homesick. 

The  ship  lay  at  Fortress  Monroe  three  days.  Buck 
had  managed  to  keep  in  the  first  conduct  grade,  though  he 
was  on  the  ragged  edge.  Consequently,  he  had  leave 


BUCK  SHOWS  PROFICIENCY  195 

every  afternoon  and  enjoyed  going  all  over  the  historic 
fort,  and  taking  swims  and  eating  a  big  dinner  twice  at 
the  old  Hygeia  Hotel.  One  day  he  went  over  to  Hampton 
and  over  to  the  beach  off  which  the  Merrimac  and  Monitor 
fought. 

On  the  26th  they  sailed,  but  only  to  stop  off  the  mouth 
of  the  Patuxent.  Here  they  remained  three  days,  having 
special  drills,  like  sending  down  topsail  yards  and  top- 
masts, sailing  the  cutters,  "  arm  and  away "  boats  for 
cutting  out  service. 

The  third  class  was  impatient  and  began  to  abuse  Car- 
rington  for  delaying.  Finally  they  anchored  off  Annapolis 
on  the  29th. 

The  next  morning,  the  third  classmen  manned  the 
capstan  bars  by  themselves,  and  ran  around  at  a  break-neck 
speed,  the  last  "  up  anchor  "  for  the  cruise.  Buck  tried 
to  get  in,  too,  but  they  ran  him  out. 

The  Phlox  and  the  Standish  came  out,  and  by  noon 
the  Constellation  was  moored  at  her  buoy  off  the  Santee's 
wharf.  By  sunset  the  first  and  third  classmen  were  away 
singing  and  rejoicing  on  their  leave,  and  the  plebes  were 
back  on  the  Santee,  recently  vacated  by  the  second  class- 
men, who  had  already  gone  on  leave. 

Learning  that  the  Constellation  would  sail  for  Nor- 
folk the  next  day  to  get  ready  for  a  cruise  with  appren- 
tices, Buck  went  off  on  board  after  supper  and  spent  the 
evening  with  Casey.  It  was  sad  for  them  both,  though 
both  kept  up  appearances  of  light-heartedness. 

"  We'll  meet  again  next  May,  Mr.  Jones.  My  time 
is  up  this  winter,  but  I  expect  to  reenlist  and  to  ship  for 
next  year's  practice  cruise." 

"  Take  good  care  of  yourself,  Casey." 

"  And  you  take  good  care  of  yourself." 

The  tears  almost  came  as  the  old  sailor  realized  that 


196  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

he  would  not  care  to  live  any  longer  if  anything  happened 
to  Buck. 

"  Good-by,  Kelly.  Good-by,  Anderson.  Good-by,  Ol- 
sen."  Buck  shook  hands  with  nearly  half  the  ship's  com- 
pany. As  the  dinghy's  crew  pulled  him  ashore,  he  thought 
it  no  wonder  we  won  victories  in  the  past,  with  such  men 
behind  the  guns. 

Buck  lay  awake  in  his  hammock  on  the  Santee  some 
time  after  taps.  He  felt  a  void,  a  sinking  feeling  about 
the  heart,  as  he  finally  dropped  off  to  sleep,  realizing  that 
the  plebe  cruise  was  over  and  Casey  was  gone. 


CHAPTER   XV 

BUCK    DISTINGUISHES    HIMSELF    IN    SOME    THINGS     AND 
FAILS    IN    OTHERS 

MALADIES  like  homesickness,  despondency,  and 
heartache  had  but  little  showing  at  Annapolis. 
There  was  literally  no  time  to  indulge  in  them. 
Drills  and  exercises  began  the  very  next  morning,  and  in 
a  few  days  the  cruise  seemed  a  matter  of  the  past.  Buck 
was  much  interested,  like  all  the  others,  in  the  prospect 
of  new  members  joining  their  class.  The  town  was  flooded 
with  candidates  in  the  midst  of  the  September  examina- 
tions. Buck,  along  with  the  others,  felt  a  certain  superi- 
ority when  he  saw  the  candidates  in  their  badly  fitting 
civilian  clothes. 

Saturday  afternoon  the  May  plebes  went  out  in  town 
and  spread  consternation  among  the  candidates,  making 
them  put  on  "  sir  "  and  stand  at  attention  with  "  fins  out  "  ; 
some  were  even  made  to  stand  on  their  heads.  Buck  took 
no  part  in  this,  having  already  resolved  that  he  would 
do  no  hazing  when  his  turn  came ;  but  he  understood  the 
feelings  and  impulse  that  prompt  hazing.  He  did  not 
believe  in  hazing  as  an  institution,  but  he  was  coming  to 
be  more  tolerant  toward  the  milder  forms. 

Sixty-seven  of  the  117  candidates  passed  the  examina- 
tions, and  in  ten  days  the  class  numbered  106.  Buck 
was  keenly  interested  in  the  new  men,  and  soon  began 
to  like  some  of  them  very  much,  though  a  certain  formal- 
ity still  lingered  between  the  May  plebes  and  the  Sep- 

197 


198  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

tember  plebes.  The  former  could  not  help  but  look  down 
on  the  latter,  though  these  gradually  became  efficient 
in  the  drills  and,  when  fitted  out  with  uniforms,  lost  their 
awkwardness.  Full  equality  was  not  finally  felt  until  the 
baseball  nine  organized  among  the  September  plebes  per- 
sistently defeated  the  nine  of  the  May  plebes.  Buck  was 
catcher  on  this  nine  and  would  not  accept  defeat. 

"  They  have  nearly  twice  the  number  to  draw  from, 
and  have  had  a  chance  to  practice  all  summer;  but  I 
don't  believe  they  can  keep  on  beating  us."  And  he  had 
a  challenge  ready  for  three  games,  the  last  three  Saturdays 
of  September. 

He  managed  to  get  his  nine  out  for  more  practice, 
finding  some  time  after  supper,  a  little  time  between  the 
morning  drill  and  dinner,  and  the  pitcher  and  several 
others  joined  him  in  getting  up  a  half  hour  before  gun 
fire.  They  made  him  captain.  He  changed  the  men 
around.  The  first  of  the  three  games  was  won  by  the  Sep- 
tember plebes,  and  the  May  plebes  seemed  disheartened. 

"  It's  no  use,"  said  Prett,  the  shortstop,  "  they  are  bet- 
ter players  than  we  are.  That's  all  there  is  to  it." 

"  They  made  more  errors  than  we  did.  They  are  no 
better  than  they  were  last  week,  while  we  have  certainly 
improved.  We'll  beat  them  yet." 

Buck's  spirit  spread  through  his  nine,  and  they  worked 
harder,  even  to  the  point  of  training  in  diet.  The  Sep- 
tember nine  rested  on  its  oars,  and  the  result  was  that  the 
May  nine  won  the  next  game  thirteen  to  nine. 

This  roused  the  September  plebes,  who  began  prac- 
ticing overtime,  straining  every  nerve.  The  whole  nine 
turned  out  an  hour  before  gun  fire  the  last  three  days. 
The  May  nine  urged  Buck  to  do  the  same. 

"  No,  we'll  go  on  steadily.     They'll  overdo  it." 

Excitement  was  high  when  the  last  game  was  called. 


BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF  199 

The  enthusiasm  had  spread  to  the  town,  and  both  sides 
had  their  friends  and  rooters. 

The  September  nine  started  out  with  brilliant  playing, 
and  at  the  fifth  inning  stood  three  to  nothing.  The  sixth 
inning  each  made  one.  The  seventh  inning  the  Mays 
made  another.  The  eighth  inning  the  Mays  made  two 
and  the  Septembers  one.  The  ninth  inning  began  with 
the  Septembers  at  the  bat  and  five  to  four  in  their  favor. 
They  struck  out  and  the  Mays  made  one.  The  tenth 
inning  neither  scored.  The  eleventh  inning  the  Septem- 
bers scored  one,  and  the  score  stood  six  to  five  in  their 
favor  when  the  Mays  came  to  the  bat.  The  first  two  of 
the  Mays  fanned  out.  The  Septembers  felt  confident.  The 
next  man  made  his  first  on  balls. 

"  Steady,  men!  Their  pitcher  is  fagged.  He's  not 
hardened,  and  he's  been  working  too  hard  lately." 

Buck's  observation  was  correct. 

The  next  batter  took  his  base  on  being  struck  in  the 
hip  by  the  ball. 

The  excitement  was  at  fever  heat.  It  was  Buck's  turn 
at  the  bat.  The  crowd  became  nervous,  and  the  players 
also. 

"  Jones  doesn't  seem  to  care,"  remarked  an  onlooker, 
as  Buck  was  very  slow  and  phlegmatic  in  finding  his 
favorite  bat. 

The  first  was  a  ball.  The  next,  Buck  struck  a  power- 
ful blow  and  missed.  The  next  was  a  ball.  Then  an- 
other powerful  blow  that  missed.  The  man  on  second 
had  failed  to  get  away. 

"  Steady !  "  said  Buck  to  himself.  "  Am  I  making  a 
mistake  to  try  for  more  than  a  base  hit  ?  No,  your  strat- 
egy is  right.  Three  men  on  bases  would  do  no  good,  and 
one  run  would  do  no  good.  We  must  win." 

There  is  a  strength  in  such  calm   determination  as 


200  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

Buck's  that  seems  to  conquer  nature's  forces.  He  calmly 
let  the  next  ball  pass,  then  the  next. 

"  He's  afraid  to  try  it,"  jeered  a  September  rooter. 

Buck's  eye  was  on  the  pitcher.  He  seemed  to  know 
what  the  next  ball  was  going  to  be  before  it  left  the  pitch- 
er's hand.  Straight  over  the  base  with  tremendous  speed ! 
Buck  struck  with  all  his  might.  A  clear  crack  and  the 
ball  went  as  though  shot  from  a  cannon,  on,  on,  on,  till 
it  struck  in  the  big  oak  tree  over  center.  A  roar  went  up. 
Caps  were  tossed  in  the  air.  All  the  May  men  rushed 
to  congratulate  Buck  as  he  came  in  on  his  home  run. 
Pikeman  only  remained  back.  "  Jones's  luck  again,"  he 
muttered  to  himself. 

"  I  always  felt  that  the  May  men  were  better  than 
the  September  men,"  remarked  Prett,  the  shortstop,  as 
he  swelled  his  chest  with  pride. 

By  the  end  of  September,  when  the  upper  classes  re- 
turned from  leave,  the  plebes,  even  the  September  plebes, 
had  become  proficient  in  the  drills  and  were  ready  to  enter 
the  battalion,  though  fifteen,  mostly  September  plebes, 
were  kept  in  the  awkward  squad  to  take  extra  setting-up 
exercises. 

During  leisure  intervals  many  of  the  plebes  took  up 
studying  early  in  September,  and  kept  it  up  during  the 
month.  Preble  urged  Buck  to  do  likewise. 

Buck  thought  over  the  matter,  but  shook  his  head. 

"  Now  is  the  time  for  baseball  and  drills.  I'll  take 
up  studying  when  the  time  comes." 

He  regretted  this  decision  the  first  day  that  studying 
began.  In  all  three  recitations,  mathematics,  English, 
and  French,  he  made  a  bad  showing ;  especially  in  French. 
He  had  never  studied  a  word  of  French,  and  the  method 
used  required  the  committing  of  a  French  text  to  memory 
every  day. 


BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF  201 

At  gun  fire  that  night  he  was  utterly  unprepared  for 
the  next  day's  recitation. 

"  It's  absurd,  Preble,  to  try  to  memorize  and  recite 
French  when  you  don't  know  how  to  pronounce  a  word." 

He  and  Preble  had  applied  for  the  privilege  of  being 
roommates,  and  had  been  assigned  to  the  first  division, 
quartered  at  the  Old  Quarters.  Their  room  was  in  Build- 
ing Number  Three,  where  the  officer  of  the  day  for  the 
Old  Quarters  had  his  office. 

Preble  pronounced  the  French  words  over  for  Buck, 
who  struggled  with  them  till  taps ;  when  he  just  got  in 
bed  as  the  officer  of  the  day  reached  their  floor  and 
shouted :  "  Out  lights !  Turn  in !  " 

When  everything  was  quiet,  and  Preble  was  asleep, 
Buck  slipped  out  of  bed,  tacked  blankets  over  the  window 
and  transom,  and  put  a  heavy  screen  over  the  shade,  then 
lighted  the  gas,  and  continued  on  the  French  lesson.  In 
the  midst  of  wrestling  with  the  French  words,  he  thought 
he  heard  footsteps  outside,  and  instantly  turned  out  the 
light.  All  seemed  quiet,  and  after  a  while  he  lighted  it 
again.  His  conscience  began  to  trouble  him. 

"  I  know  it's  against  regulations ;  but  what  can  a  man 
do  when  they  don't  give  him  time  enough  ?  "  And  he 
continued  studying,  though  he  took  the  precaution  of 
changing  the  "  In  Charge  of  Room  "  plate  from  Preble's 
wardrobe  over  to  his  own. 

He  was  going  over  for  the  fiftieth  time  the  first  sen- 
tence of  the  French  text,  when  he  was  sure  he  heard  foot- 
steps in  the  hall  below.  He  started  to  turn  out  the  gas 
again.  He  felt  like  a  criminal. 

"  I'll  not  do  it.     If  they  catch  me,  all  right." 

The  steps  came  up  the  stairs  and  down  the  hall,  and 
stopped  for  a  moment  in  front  of  the  door.  Buck's  heart 

was  in  his  throat.     A  knock !     The  door  opened.     There 
14 


202  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

stood  the  officer  of  the  day  and  the  sentry,  who  had  de- 
tected the  light  through  the  screened  window.  Buck  rose 
to  his  feet  as  the  officer  of  the  day  entered. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  Jones,  B.  P." 

"  Who  is  in  charge  of  this  room  ?  " 

"  I  am,  sir." 

"  You  are  aware  that  you  are  violating  regulations  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I'll  report  you." 

"  Very  well,  sir.     I  deserve  it." 

"  Take  down  those  blankets.  Turn  out  your  light  and 
turn  in." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir." 

As  he  got  in  bed  Buck  murmured  to  himself :  "  I'm 
glad  he  caught  me." 

Preble  had  slept  through  it  all,  and  when  he  heard 
Buck's  name  read  out  at  breakfast  formation  for  violation 
of  regulations,  studying  after  taps;  also  for  neglect  of 
regulations,  having  a  light  burning  in  room  after  taps, 
while  in  charge  of  room,  he  was  astonished. 

"  It  must  be  a  mistake,  for  I  was  in  charge  of  the 
room." 

He  dropped  out  of  ranks  to  see  the  officer  of  the  day. 

"  That  report  must  be  a  mistake,  sir." 

"  No,  it  is  correct." 

"  I  was  in  charge  of  the  room." 

"  The  *  In  Charge  of  Room '  plate  was  on  Mr.  Jones's 
wardrobe." 

After  marching  out,  Preble  hurried  over  to  Buck. 

"  Did  he  slip  up  on  you  in  his  stocking  feet  ?  " 

"No,  he  caught  me  on  the  square.  The  sentry  was 
with  him.  I  heard  them  in  the  lower  hall  and  on  the 
stairway,  and  they  stopped  in  front  of  the  door." 


BUCK   DISTINGUISHES   HIMSELF  203 

"  Why  didn't  you  turn  the  light  out  and  jump  in  bed 
and  begin  to  snore  ?  " 

"  I  did  turn  it  out  once,  but  I  felt  too  mean  to  do  it 
again." 

Preble  loved  Buck  more  than  ever.  And  the  officer-in- 
charge  and  the  Commandant,  who  heard  the  circumstances 
from  the  officer  of  the  day,  lost  none  of  their  respect  for 
him.  Pikeman,  however,  went  to  Rix  and  Huff  and 
Hutchins  and  Twinting  and  the  other  savey  men  of  the 
class,  saying:  "You'll  have  to  look  out  for  Jones.  He'll 
take  any  unfair  advantage  to  try  to  stand  ahead  of  you." 

Buck  never  studied  after  taps  again. 

He  began  to  investigate  the  total  available  time,  and 
to  take  account  of  the  relative  importance  of  the  studies, 
and  to  allot  the  available  time  accordingly.  He  worked 
out  his  programme  to  take  advantage  of  every  five  min- 
utes of  extra  time  that  could  be  seized  in  each  day  of  the 
week. 

Thus  he  caught  ten  minutes  before  breakfast,  ten  min- 
utes after  breakfast,  before  the  call  for  the  first  period, 
twenty  minutes  before  dinner,  after  the  recall  from  the 
second  period,  about  fifteen  minutes  after  dinner,  before 
the  call  for  the  afternoon  period,  about  ten  minutes  before 
drill,  about  thirty  minutes  after  drill  and  before  supper, 
about  twenty-five  minutes  after  supper  before  study  hours, 
and  about  twenty  minutes  between  gun  fire  and  taps.  This 
made  altogether  over  two  hours  additional  time  that  he 
manufactured  during  the  day.  Huff  undertook  to  put  in 
all  the  available  time,  too.  So  did  Eix  and  several  others ; 
but  they  lacked  Buck's  rigid  system. 

When  the  first  monthly  examinations  came,  he  was 
satisfied  with  his  French,  was  dissatisfied  with  his  Eng- 
lish, and  utterly  disgusted  with  his  mathematics  exam- 
inations, in  which  last  case  he  lingered  over  the  third 


204  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

problem,  as  he  had  lingered  on  the  entrance  examination, 
so  that  he  barely  reached  the  fourth  question,  and  did  not 
touch  the  fifth. 

After  drill  the  following  Saturday,  all  the  plebes  and 
upper  classmen  hurried  to  the  old  Recitation  Hall  to  see 
the  standing. 

Some  upper  classmen,  after  seeing  their  marks,  came 
over  to  the  marks  of  the  plebes.  Stratford  noticed  Buck's 
look. 

"  Have  you  lost  your  last  friend,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  How  did  you  come  out  ?  I  see — five  in  English ; 
that's  good ;  nine  in  French ;  so  is  that ;  twelve  in  math. ; 
that,  too.  What  do  you  expect?  I  have  never  been  as 
high  as  twelve  in  anything." 

But  this  did  not  comfort  Buck.     Moble  came  up. 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Jones,  you  look  downcast.  What's  the 
matter  ?  " 

"Nothing,  sir." 

Once,  when  Moble  had  Buck  in  the  washroom  on  the 
cruise,  standing  first  himself,  he  asked  him  where  he  ex- 
pected to  stand.  Buck  had  frankly  told  him,  first.  When 
Moble  noticed  Jones,  B.  P.,  number  twelve  in  mathemat- 
ics, he  turned  and  asked :  "  Where  do  you  expect  to  stand 
now,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  First,  sir." 

Moble  smiled.  A  twitter  passed  among  the  group. 
Pikeman  laughed  out  loud.  Buck  said  nothing  further, 
but  went  on  taking  down  Preble's  marks.  As  he  left,  he 
saw  Preble  coming  up  the  walk.  He  ran  ahead,  his  face 
lighting  up. 

"  My  congratulations !  It's  fine.  You  pulled  the  first 
section  in  math."  It  was  on  mathematics  that  Preble  had 
failed  the  previous  year,  and  he  smiled  with  satisfaction. 


BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF  205 

"  And  where  are  you,  Buck  ?  " 

"  In  the  middle  of  the  second  section.  I  went  to 
pieces  on  the  exam,  as  I  told  you." 

Preble's  face  fell.    He  knew  what  this  meant  to  Buck. 

"  You  ought  to  have  studied  on  Sunday ;  especially 
last  Sunday.  The  math  exams  always  come  on  Monday. 
Everybody  else  studies  then.  There  is  no  other  time." 

Buck  shook  his  head.  He  had  never  studied  on  Sun- 
day at  home,  and  he  determined  not  to  study  on  Sunday 
at  Annapolis.  Instead,  he  would  take  a  long  walk  across 
Spar  Creek,  or  over  the  Government  Farm,  or  out  across 
the  Severn  on  the  road  to  Whitehall.  On  Sunday  nights 
he  would  read  religious  books.  At  times  this  was  very 
hard,  especially  when  the  great  annual  and  semiannual 
examinations  came.  But  Buck  never  deviated  from  his 
resolution. 

"  I'll  try  to  make  up  on  Saturdays  and  holidays," 
he  would  repeat  to  himself. 

"  You'll  be  out  at  the  game  this  afternoon  ?  "  asked 
Preble. 

"  The  second  half,"  replied  Buck. 

It  was  to  be  a  great  football  game;  the  first  game 
between  Princeton  and  Annapolis. 

Buck's  front  room  in  Building  Three  looked  out  over 
the  football  field,  but  during  the  first  half  of  the  game 
Buck's  back  was  turned,  and  he  studied  the  French  les- 
son for  Monday.  At  times  when  the  shouting  went  up, 
it  was  hard,  very  hard,  but  he  concentrated  his  mind  only 
the  more,  and  never  turned  till  3.45,  when  the  time  he 
fixed  arrived.  Then  he  went  out  and  followed  the  game 
with  breathless  interest,  running  up  and  down  the  side 
lines  with  the  small  boys. 

Princeton  had  scored  twelve  in  the  first  half,  and  now 
made  another  touchdown  and  goal  in  the  first  five  min- 


206  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

utes.  Their  heavy  left  guard  had  disabled  the  Xavy  right 
guard  and  substitute  in  succession,  and  was  running  over 
the  second  substitute,  who  was  left  stretched  out  on  the 
field  when  the  touchdown  was  made. 

Time  was  called,  and  Stone,  the  captain  of  the  Navy 
team,  called  up  Kister,  the  captain  of  the  Hustlers,  the 
Navy  second  team. 

"  Kister,  can  you  suggest  a  man  ?  " 

"  There  is  no  man  on  the  Hustlers  that  can  stand  up 
before  that  bull." 

"  Who  have  played  right  guard  for  you  ?  " 

Kister  called  over  several  names,  but  shook  his  head. 
Then  a  thought  came  up. 

"  There's  young  Jones,  the  plebe.  He's  hard  as  a 
knot  and  plucky  as  the  devil.  But  he  only  plays  now  and 
then,  and  refuses  to  join  the  Hustlers.  There  he  is." 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  called  out  Stone,  "  come  here !  " 

Buck  came  up. 

"  Cribbin,  their  left  guard,  has  laid  out  three  of  our 


men. 
u 


Yes,  sir.  I  watched  him,  the  brute ;  he  does  it  with 
his  elbow,"  replied  Buck. 

"  Do  you  think  you  could  hold  him  ?  " 

"I'll  try,  if  you  wish." 

Buck  was  in  football  uniform  in  short  order  and  took 
his  place.  The  Navy  kicked  and  Princeton  got  the  ball. 
Buck  caught  Cribbin's  vicious  eye  as  he  lined  up  in  front 
of  him.  The  ball  was  snapped,  and  like  a  flash  Cribbin's 
elbow  caught  him  in  the  throat.  Buck  thought  his  wind- 
pipe had  been  broken,  but  he  caught  the  Princeton  half 
back  with  the  ball  as  he  tried  to  pass  through. 

"  One  more  will  be  enough,"  chuckled  Cribbin  to  the 
half  back. 

The  teams  lined  up  again.     The  ball  was  snapped. 


BUCK   DISTINGUISHES   HIMSELF  207 

Cribbin  lunged  with  his  elbow.  Buck  ducked  low,  the 
elbow  passed  over,  and  he  caught  Cribbin  in  the  body  with 
his  head.  The  half  back  piled  on  top.  Cribbin  was  getting 
his  breath  when  Poe,  the  Princeton  captain,  came  up. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Cribbin  ?  " 

"  That  little  devil  dodged  and  caught  me  in  the  wind." 

"  We'd  better  try  something  else  ?  " 

"  No,  I'll  get  him  this  time ;  then  we'll  walk  over 
them." 

They  lined  up. 

"  Second  down  and  four  yards  to  make." 

Buck  watched  Cribbin's  eye.  The  look  he  caught  re- 
minded him  of  the  look  of  the  snaggle-tooth  assassin  at 
Portsmouth.  The  ball  was  snapped  to  time  with  Cribbin's 
lunge.  The  rest  of  the  Navy  team  was  taken  by  surprise, 
but  Buck  was  not.  He  looked  for  just  what  came — a 
lower  lunge.  He  jumped  back  a  half  pace,  knocked  Crib- 
bin's  elbow  down  with  his  right  fist,  and  made  a  counter 
lunge  with  his  left  elbow,  caught  Cribbin  square  in  the 
neck,  and  disengaged  in  time  to  down  the  half  back  as  he 
tried  to  pass  over.  A  shout  went  up  that  echoed  over  the 
bay. 

"  Third  down.    Navy's  ball." 

The  whistle  called  time.     Cribbin  was  stretched  out. 

"  Come  ahead,  old  man." 

Cribbin  shook  his  head.     They  took  him  off  the  field. 

A  substitute  came  up.  The  Navy  snapped.  Buck 
lunged  with  his  elbow  and  caught  the  new  man  in  the  neck. 
He  staggered  as  he  stood  up  again. 

"  Second  down.     Two  yards  to  gain." 

Buck  had  a  consultation  with  Stone.  The  navy 
snapped,  Buck  made  the  elbow  lunge,  caught  the  substi- 
tute in  the  neck  and  went  down  with  him,  while  Stone 
passed  over  for  a  gain  of  eight  yards.  Cheer  after  cheer 


208  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

went  up,  and  a  Navy  song  broke  forth ;  but  the  whistle 
called  time.  The  substitute  was  taken  off  the  field,  and 
another  came  in  his  place.  He  fell  back  as  Buck  lunged, 
and  hit  Buck  with  his  fist  a  smashing  blow  between  the 
eyes.  He  was  ruled  off,  and  a  groan  went  up  from  the 
stands. 

"  Princeton  is  a  coward !  " 

"  Princeton  is  a  coward !  " 

"  Princeton  can't  take  its  own  medicine !  " 

Everybody  was  astonished  when  Buck  took  his  place, 
and  a  third  substitute  stood  up.  The  first  lunge,  Buck 
caught  him  in  the  neck,  and  the  Navy  passed  over  for 
a  gain  of  five  yards.  The  next  lunge  he  missed.  The  next 
he  caught  him  in  the  neck,  and  the  substitute  was  taken 
from  the  field,  while  the  Navy  had  reached  Princeton's 
twenty-yard  line.  Buck  went  up  to  Stone : 

"  How  many  of  .our  men  did  Cribbin  lay  off?  " 

"  Four." 

"  Then  we  are  quits." 

"  No ;  we'll  keep  it  up  for  this  touchdown." 

Buck  shook  his  head.  "  We  don't  want  a  game  to 
come  this  way." 

Everybody  was  astonished  that  the  Navy  suddenly 
stopped  the  play  that  was  gaming  so  much.  The  two 
teams  struggled  back  and  forth.  The  time  was  nearly 
up.  An  opening  came  and  Buck  kicked  a  drop  kick  for  a 
goal  from  the  field.  The  shouting  rent  the  skies.  Time 
was  called.  Everybody  rushed  in,  but  Buck  had  slipped 
off. 

"  Stone,  why  didn't  you  keep  up  your  play  after  Jones 
got  on  to  Cribbin's  stunt  so  well  ?  " 

"  Jones  refused  to  go  on  after  he  had  laid  out  as  many 
as  Cribbin  laid  out." 

Buck  hurried  back  to  his  room,   tied   a  towel   with 


BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF  209 

cracked  ice  over  his  forehead,  where  a  lump  was  rising, 
and  got  in  an  hour's  study  on  his  mathematics  before  the 
bugle  blew  for  supper. 

Buck  carried  out  his  self-imposed  routine  during  the 
second  month,  and  used  better  judgment  on  the  examina- 
tions. When  the  marks  were  posted,  Huff  was  again  first 
in  everything  with  a  big  lead.  Rix  was  second  in  mathe- 
matics and  in  English,  and  third  in  French.  Buck  was 
fifth  in  mathematics,  fourth  in  English,  and  fifth  in 
French.  He  felt  some  satisfaction  in  going  up  in  every- 
thing, and  his  general  average  made  him  third  in  the 
class,  but  Rix  was  well  ahead,  and  Huff  was  out  of 
sight.  But  he  held  to  his  rigid  regime,  which  was  begin- 
ning to  make  him  appear  very  serious  and  almost  stern. 

Thanksgiving,  however,  he  gave  himself  all  the  day 
after  two  o'clock.  He  enjoyed  the  sports  immensely  and, 
though  having  had  no  special  practice,  won  the  mile  heat 
with  a  good  record.  After  the  sports  he  said : 

"  Preble,  I  feel  like  a  spree.  Let's  go  out  to  Wie- 
gard's." 

They  went  out  and  ate  ice  cream  and  cake. 

"  My  mother  sent  me  a  spread,"  said  Preble. 

"  Then  we'll  get  it,"  said  Buck. 

But  they  found  the  express  office  closed.  They  looked 
up  the  expressman  at  home. 

"  Please  come  out  and  let  us  have  the  box." 

They  pleaded  in  vain. 

"  I'm  going  to  get  it  and  take  it,  if  you  don't  come 
on,"  cried  Buck.  "  This  is  the  only  day  we'll  have."  And 
under  the  threat  the  agent  went  down  and  gave  them  the 
big  box.  They  took  turns  in  carrying  it  to  their  quarters, 
and  a  string  of  classmates  gathered  as  they  went. 

"  Come  on,"  said  Buck  to  everyone.     "  Preble's  got 


210  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

the  biggest  spread  I  ever  saw.  I  invite  you  all  to  come 
and  help  us  eat  it" 

All  accepted  Buck's  invitation,  while  Preble  roared 
with  laughter  to  see  the  boy  in  Buck  breaking  out  all 
over  in  reaction  from  the  rigid  regime  he  had  been  going 
through. 

Nearly  half  the  class  was  gathered  in  their  room  after 
supper  enjoying  the  great  spread,  and  the  fun  became  so 
uproarious  that  the  officer  of  the  day  came  up  about  nine 
o'clock,  thinking  that  they  were  drinking;  but  found  no 
evidence  of  liquor. 

A  little  while  later,  just  after  gun  fire,  Stratford  ap- 
peared in  the  doorway.  All  the  plebes  stood  up  at  at- 
tention. 

"  Prepare  to  dive  for  Casey.  Mr.  Jones  and  Mr.  Bill- 
erson,  take  the  basins ;  Mr.  Catell  and  Mr.  Knowlton,  take 
the  outboard  wardrobe;  Mr.  Prett  and  Mr.  Mortel,  take 
the  inboard  wardrobe;  Mr.  Prowhoska,  Mr.  Kirck,  Mr. 
Ferbier,  and  Mr.  Dinf orth,  take  the  inboard  bed ;  Mr.  Ty- 
rone, Mr.  Stiger,  Mr.  Thimes,  and  Mr.  Henderson,  take 
the  outboard  bed;  the  others,  not  provided  for,  take  the 
table.  Take  your  stations !  " 

They  all  took  their  assigned  stations.  Buck  filled  his 
basin  full  of  water  and  stood  over  it. 

"  Are  you  ready  ?  " 

All  were  on  the  tiptoe  of  expectancy.  Buck  couldn't 
restrain  the  fun  bubbling  up. 

"  Mr.  Stratford,  we'll  all  agree  to  make  the  best  dive 
you  ever  saw,  if  you'll  promise  not  to  eat  up  all  the  spread 
before  we  come  up." 

A  snicker  went  through  the  plebes. 

"  Jones  has  a  nerve,"  whispered  Catell  to  Knowlton. 

Stratford  stamped  his  foot. 

"  Come  here,  Mr.  Jones !  "  he  said  savagely. 


BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF  211 

Buck  came  up. 

"  Are  you  trying  to  be  gaily  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Buck  respectfully. 

"  Then  take  your  station !  " 

"Standby— dive!" 

Such  scrambling  had  never  been  witnessed  before ; 
under  the  beds  and  tables,  into  the  wardrobes  they  went; 
hands  and  legs  were  shuffling.  Stratford  was  bursting 
with  delight,  but  kept  a  solemn  look. 

Buck  soused  his  head  in  the  basin,  and  worked  his 
arms  frantically;  then  rose,  and  soused  again,  then  rose 
and  spluttered  out : 

"  I've  got  him,  sir !  " 

This  was  a  variation,  but  Stratford  seized  upon  it. 

"  Have  the  rest  of  you  got  him  ?  " 

"  I've  got  him,  sir !  "  answered  Billerson. 

"  I've  got  him,  sir !  "  "  I've  got  him,  sir !  "  "  I've 
got  him,  sir !  "  they  all  answered. 

"  Then  bring  him  up !  "  ordered  Stratford. 

As  they  came  up  from  all  directions,  holding  their  left 
hands  out  and  pawing  the  air  with  their  right  hands, 
Stratford  could  restrain  himself  no  longer,  but  broke  out 
and  bent  over  double  with  roaring  laughter,  and  took  no 
exception  when  all  the  plebes  broke  forth,  also  unable  to 
restrain  themselves. 

At  that  moment  the  warning  bugle  blew,  and  away 
the  group  scattered.  Many  had  to  get  up  to  the  New  Quar- 
ters and  in  bed  in  five  minutes,  and  they  flew.  Those 
rooming  in  the  same  building  took  it  more  leisurely.  They 
were  well  practiced  in  going  to  bed,  and  could  do  it  in  two 
and  a  half  minutes. 

Buck's  spirits  were  at  the  highest  pitch.  An  inspira- 
tion seized  him. 

"  Fellows,"  he  said  to  the  last  four  who  lingered, 


212  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  come  in  after  everything  is  quiet,  and  we'll  go  on  with 
the  spread." 

About  10.30  they  slipped  in:  Knowlton,  Billerson, 
Henderson,  and  Kirck.  Buck  and  Preble  turned  out,  and 
the  six  went  ahead  on  the  good  things,  by  the  dim  light 
from  the  corridor  that  came  in  through  the  open  door. 

"  This  is  a  wonderful  turkey,  Preble." 

"  Yes,  wonderful,  and  these  tarts  your  mother  made," 
put  in  Buck. 

They  had  been  eating  the  same  things  all  evening,  but 
a  new  relish  came  with  the  clandestine  circumstances. 

Soon  they  became  bold  and  raised  their  voices  and 
clamored  for  more  light. 

"  Let's  fix  up  the  window  and  transom  and  light  the 
gas,"  suggested  Knowlton. 

"  We'd  better  put  the  blankets  double  over  the  win- 
dow," said  Buck,  remembering  his  former  experience. 

When  everything  was  snug,  they  lit  the  gas  and  went 
ahead  with  the  spread,  having  the  time  of  their  lives, 
Buck  outdoing  himself  with  his  fun.  He  was  just  be- 
ginning to  tell  a  ghost  story  Casey  had  told  him  at  sea, 
when  he  stopped  suddenly. 

"  I  hear  footsteps,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

"  It's  a  ghost,"  suggested  Billerson. 

"  I  wish  it  were  a  ghost,"  replied  Buck,  as  the  steps 
grew  louder. 

"  Fellows,  it's  the  sentry.  He's  on  to  our  light.  He's 
going  for  the  officer  of  the  day." 

The  guilty  six  were  just  about  to  scatter. 

"  It's  too  late,  fellows ;  he's  on  the  stairway."  Buck 
knew  the  steps  only  too  well.  "  Billerson,  you  and  Kirck 
get  in  my  wardrobe.  Knowlton,  you  and  Henderson  get 
in  Preble's  wardrobe.  Preble,  you  jump  into  bed,  and  be- 
gin to  snore.  Quick !  It's  a  real  case  of  dive  for  Casey." 


BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF  213 

All  obeyed,  thinking  that  Buck  would  turn  out  the 
light  and  jump  into  bed.  Instead,  Buck  quickly  changed 
the  "  In  Charge  of  Room  "  plate  from  Preble's  wardrobe 
over  to  his  own,  and  jumped  back  and  stood  over  the  box 
eating  a  big  slice  of  pie  as  a  knock  came  and  the  door 
opened,  and  the  officer  of  the  day  and  the  sentry  stepped 
in.  Buck  put  down  the  pie  and  stood  at  attention;  but 
chewed  fast,  as  though  caught  with  a  big  mouthful. 

"  This  is  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  Buck  answered  with  difficulty,  as  he 
finally  gulped  the  pie  down. 

"  Who's  in  charge  of  this  room  ?  " 

"  I  am,  sir." 

The  officer  of  the  day  glanced  up  to  verify  the  plate 
on  the  wardrobe. 

"  You  are  rather  greedy,  eating  by  yourself." 

"  I  have  a  bigger  capacity  than  my  roommate." 

The  officer  glared  at  this  retort,  but  resumed  with  cut- 
ting sarcasm: 

"  There  is  more  than  is  good  for  you.  I  think  you've 
had  enough.  I'll  confiscate  the  rest.  Orderly,  gather  up 
the  things." 

Buck  was  overwhelmed  as  the  orderly  began  to  gather 
the  good  things  up  into  the  box.  He  didn't  know  that 
confiscation  of  the  goods  was  the  penalty  for  clandestine 
use. 

"  Please  don't,  sir.     They  belong  to  my  roommate." 

He  pleaded  in  vain. 

"  Your  roommate  should  have  been  more  discreet  in 
trusting  his  goods,"  the  answer  came,  as  the  orderly  was 
putting  the  last  things  in. 

The  officer  was  morally  certain  that  the  snores  coming 
from  the  bed  were  unnaturally  loud. 

"  Take  the  box  to  my  office." 


214  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

And  the  orderly  went  out  with  the  box. 

Buck's  wrath  was  running  high. 

"  Take  down  those  blankets,  Mr.  Jones ;  turn  out  your 
light  and  turn  in,"  ordered  the  officer  as  he  withdrew. 

Buck  couldn't  contain  himself. 

"  Please  help  yourself.  The  things  are  good,  and  I 
am  sure  my  roommate  would  wish  you  welcome,"  he  said 
with  sarcasm. 

The  officer  stepped  back  into  the  room. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir  ?  "  he  demanded  of  Buck. 

Buck  said  nothing,  and  the  officer  of  the  day  went  out, 
looking  black  with  rage. 

Preble  jumped  up. 

"  Buck,  what  in  the  world  possessed  you !  You  are 
ruined!  Higbrath  is  the  meanest  stinker  in  the  Acad- 
emy !  " 

The  others  came  out  of  hiding  in  consternation. 

"  He  ought  not  to  have  taken  your  spread,"  said  Buck 
between  his  teeth,  as  he  turned  out  the  light.  "  Come 
close.  I'm  going  to  get  that  spread  back." 

The  six  conspirators  held  their  heads  close,  as  Buck 
developed  his  plans,  and  gave  each  his  instructions. 

"  Ask  no  questions.  Simply  obey  instructions.  We'll 
all  get  out  of  the  window.  Henderson,  take  your  station 
on  the  upper  floor  of  Building  Number  Two.  Kirck,  on  the 
upper  floor  of  Building  Number  One.  Billerson,  take  your 
station  behind  the  Institute  Building.  Knowlton,  take 
station  under  the  willow  tree  behind  the  Steam  Building. 
Preble,  take  station  at  the  corner  of  this  building.  At 
exactly  ten  minutes  after  six  bells,  Knowlton  Avill  call  out 
'  Fire !  fire ! '  and  then  hide  behind  the  old  boat  shed, 
climbing  up  into  the  Sandwich  Island  boat,  if  necessary. 
When  Billerson  hears  Knowlton's  call,  he  will  likewise 
call  '  Fire !  fire ! '  then  slip  down  the  terrace  and  hide  be- 


BUCK  DISTINGUISHES  HIMSELF  215 

hind  the  Photographic  Building.  When  Preble  hears  Bil- 
lerson's  call,  he  will  pull  his  cap  over  his  eyes  and  rush  by 
the  door,  calling  out  i  Fire !  fire !  '  and  will  turn  around 
the  Old  Recitation  Hall  and  hide.  When  Henderson  and 
Kirck  hear  Preble,  they  will  rush  pell-mell  down  the 
stairs,  calling  out,  '  Fire  !  fire  at  the  Steam  Building — fire 
at  the  Steam  Building ! '  and  will  rush  by  this  building, 
keeping  up  the  call.  They  likewise  will  drop  behind  the 
Old  Recitation  Hall  and  hide.  When  the  fire  engine  is 
out  and  everybody  is  off,  we'll  all  assemble  on  the  top  floor 
of  the  Old  Recitation  Hall  and  go  ahead  with  the  spread." 

They  were  all  electrified. 

Just  at  that  moment  six  bells  were  sounded. 

"  It  is  time  to  be  off.  Knowlton,  make  your  call  five 
minutes  after  you  reach  your  station.  Here  are  matches." 
Buck  pulled  a  bundle  of  them  out  of  the  table  drawer. 
"  Each  man  take  a  box,  but  use  them  only  when  necessary. 
And  look  out  for  the  watchmen.  If  you  run  across  one, 
pull  your  cap  over  your  eyes  and  fly ;  but  lead  the  pursuer 
astray." 

Buck  questioned  each  to  see  if  he  thoroughly  under- 
stood his  part,  then  raised  the  window  guiltily  to  see 
about  the  watchman  who  had  struck  six  bells  with  the  bell 
in  front  of  Building  Number  Five. 

"  He's  gone.     The  way  is  clear." 

Buck  led  the  way  out  of  the  window  and  dropped  down 
on  the  sidewalk.  The  others  followed. 

"  Bend  over  passing  the  lamp  posts,"  whispered  Buck 
as  they  parted. 


CHAP-TEE  XVI 

BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE  PRICE 

IT  was  a  dark  night,  well  suited  to  the  scheme.     Buck 
slipped  around  the  building,  then  along  the  rear  to 
Building  Number  Four,  then  on  to  Building  Number 
Five.    Then  he  passed  close  to  the  side  of  the  building  and 
slipped  across  the  sidewalk  to  the  little  belfry,  stood  close 
up  to  one  of  the  columns,  and  waited. 

He  began  to  feel  a  little  anxious  as  the  minutes  passed. 
The  darkness  seemed  heavy  and  mysterious.  He  felt 
queer.  But  his  blood  was  up,  and  he  repeated  to  himself, 
"  I'll  get  that  spread  at  any  cost." 

At  last — it  seemed  a  half  hour,  at  least — the  stillness 
was  broken  by  a  loud  cry  of  "  Fire !  fire !  "  A  pause — 
then  another  cry — "  Fire  !  fire !  "  Then  a  man  rushed  by 
— "  Fire !  fire  at  the  Steam  Building !  " 

Buck  seized  the  bell  and  rang  furiously ;  then  paused, 
and  struck  three  bells;  then  rang  furiously,  and  paused, 
and  three  bells,  the  signal  for  fire  in  the  Steam  Building. 

He  heard  a  tumult  in  Buildings  One  and  Two,  and  two 
men  rushed  out  yelling — "  Fire !  fire  in  the  Steam  Build- 
ing!" 

"  It's  working  like  a  charm,"  murmured  Buck  as  he 
rang  furiously. 

Suddenly  looking  around,  he  saw  the  watchman  run- 
ning toward  the  bell,  not  thirty  yards  away.  Buck  drew 
his  cap  down  and  dashed  across  the  sidewalk  to  the  rear 

216 


BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE  PRICE      217 

of  the  building  and  turned  the  corner  to  the  right,  as  he 
saw  the  watchman  coming  on  in  pursuit.  This  watchman 
had  caught  many  a  fugitive  cadet;  but  he  lost  ground  as 
Buck  dashed  toward  the  Santee's  wharf  and  turned  up 
around  the  gas  house  by  the  gymnasium,  and  doubled  back 
on  his  tracks,  as  he  saw  the  watchman  running  down  the 
Santee's  wharf.  He  slipped  along  the  rear  of  the  build- 
ings, then  out  from  behind  Building  Number  Three, 
where  he  paused  and  looked  cautiously  down  the  walk. 
The  last  straggler  was  running  toward  the  Old  Recitation 
Hall. 

"  It's  time.     I'll  take  my  chances." 

And  he  dashed  under  the  light  into  the  building,  into 
the  office  of  the  officer  of  the  day.  There  was  the  box. 
He  grabbed  it  up  and  shouldered  it.  As  he  reached  the 
door  he  saw  a  watchman  running  toward  him  from  the 
Superintendent's  house ;  so  he  started  down  toward  the 
gymnasium,  then  turned  behind  Building  Number  Five, 
and  doubled  back  behind  the  buildings  toward  the  Old 
Recitation  Hall. 

The  second  watchman  rushed  by  and  seized  the  first 
watchman,  who  was  returning  from  his  vain  search  of  the 
Santee's  wharf,  each  watchman  threw  his  bull's-eye  light 
in  the  face  of  the  other. 

"  Did  you  see  a  cadet  with  a  box  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Something  is  wrong  here." 

Buck  proceeded  cautiously,  but  swiftly.  The  engine 
was  rattling  along  the  road  near  the  sea  wall,  with  the 
sparks  flying.  The  hose  cart  dashed  by  it.  Buck  climbed 
the  rear  steps,  then  cautiously  slipped  around  and  into 
the  Old  Recitation  Hall  and  climbed  to  the  top  floor, 
breathing  deep  from  his  load.  He  made  a  low  whistle. 

"  Here  we  are." 
15 


218  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  recognized  Knowlton's  voice,  and  groped  his  way 
to  the  group,  and  deposited  the  box  on  the  floor. 

"  We  thought  you  weren't  coming." 

"  I  told  them  you  would  get  here  some  way." 

"  I'd  have  been  frightened  to  death  any  other  time, 
for  I  know  this  old  building  is  haunted." 

Buck  paid  but  little  heed  to  these  remarks. 

"  Have  you  mustered  ?  " 

"  Yes,  all  are  present." 

Buck  examined  the  hall. 

"  Come  on  this  way." 

And  they  went  over  to  the  corner  where  a  light  would 
not  show. 

Buck  struck  a  match  and  began  to  take  the  good  things 
out. 

He  bit  a  big  half  moon  from  a  tart. 

"  I  never  knew  anything  so  sweet !  " 

The  others  took  pie  and  cake,  chocolate  caramels  and 
turkey. 

"  This  is  the  greatest  spread  I  ever  saw !  " 

"  Isn't  this  great  ?  " 

"  They  are  hauling  on  the  drag  ropes  and  hose  out 
there." 

All  laughed. 

Each  in  turn  struck  a  match.  It  was  a  chilly  night, 
and  their  teeth  were  chattering,  but  each  testified  that  he 
had  never  known  anything  to  taste  so  good.  The  turkey 
was  the  best  ever!  The  ham  came  in  for  high  praise. 
They  even  tried  the  stuffed  hard-boiled  eggs  that  had  been 
neglected  to  that  point.  Each  was  wondering  if  he  could 
get  back  all  right,  but  no  one  intimated  the  least  anxiety. 
All  waited  on  Buck,  who  continued  to  stuff  himself. 

When  the  alarm  was  sounded  the  officer  of  the  day 
hastened  over  to  join  the  Commandant.  When  they  reached 


BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND   PAYS  THE  PRICE      219 

the  Steam  Building,  the  hook  and  ladder  squad  were  al- 
ready there,  but  were  at  a  loss  where  to  operate.  The 
Commandant  went  all  around  the  building.  No  sign  of 
fire!  The  Superintendent,  accompanied  by  the  four- 
striper,  his  aide  in  fire  quarters,  came  up. 

"  There  is  no  trace  of  fire,  sir,"  Carrington  reported. 

The  watchman  for  the  Steam  Building  and  Phlox's 
wharf  came  up. 

"  I  have  been  right  here,  sir,  and  have  seen  no  sign 
of  fire." 

"  Have  the  building  inspected,"  directed  Rumsey. 

And  the  watchman  and  four-striper  went  in  and  soon 
returned. 

"  No  trace  of  fire^  sir." 

"  This  is  very  strange,  Captain,"  said  Carrington,  as 
he  questioned  the  watchman. 

"  Who  sounded  the  first  alarm  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir.  It  was  from  over  there  on  the 
terrace.  I  ran  around  and  thought  I  saw  a  cadet  slip  be- 
hind that  willow,  but  when  I  examined,  there  was  no  one 
there." 

At  that  moment  another  watchman  came  up. 

"  I  heard  fire  called  over  here,  then  repeated  about  the 
Institute  Building,  vand  I  ran  to  sound  the  bell  at  the  Old 
Quarters  and  found  a  cadet  ringing  it,  with  other  cadets 
rushing  up  the  walk  giving  the  alarm.  As  I  came  up  the 
cadet  at  the  bell  fled,  and  I  chased  him  as  far  as  the 
Santee's  wharf,  where  he  slipped  me." 

"  It  is  a  conspiracy,  Captain,"  said  Carrington,  as  he 
turned  to  Rumsey,  who  remained  silent  a  moment,  then 
replied : 

"  I  think  you  are  right.  Sound  the  retreat  from  fire 
quarters.  Then  assemble  the  battalion.  Unless  the  guilty 
confess,  march  the  battalion  at  double  quick  up  and  down 


220  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Maryland  Avenue  for  an  hour,  and  we'll  issue  an  order 
for  a  court  of  inquiry  in  the  morning." 

Rumsey's  voice  was  clear  and  stern. 

The  six  conspirators  had  been  eating  all  afternoon 
and  evening,  but  they  all  professed  to  have  a  prodigious 
appetite.  Billerson  was  getting  nauseated,  and  others 
were  not  eating  as  much  as  they  pretended.  But  Buck 
kept  stuffing  by  the  match  lights. 

"  There  goes  the  retreat.  They've  extinguished  the 
raging  fire  at  last,"  said  Buck  as  he  took  up  another  pie, 
while  all  grinned  and  laughed  and  shivered. 

"  Are  all  those  tarts  gone  ?  "  asked  Buck,  as  he  began 
to  search  down  in  the  tart  corner. 

At  that  moment  they  heard  the  bugle  call  the  assembly. 

Buck  stopped  short. 

"  They  are  going  to  muster  and  catch  us,"  said  Kirck 
with  trembling  voice. 

"  Let's  be  off." 

"  Let's  hurry." 

"  A  moment,"  said  Buck  sternly.  "  Continue  to  obey 
instructions,  and  you'll  come  out  all  right.  But  first  look 
out  for  the  spread.  This  is  the  last  chance.  Let's  take 
away  as  much  as  we  can." 

And  he  began  shoving  drumsticks  in  his  trousers 
pockets,  and  potted  ham;  and  got  three  sardine  boxes  in 
his  blouse. 

The  steps  of  the  cadets  going  to  formation  were  heard 
outside.  Panic  seized  the  other  conspirators.  Billerson 
grabbed  up  a  pie  and  put  it,  flat,  soft  side  to  body,  under 
his  blouse.  Henderson  filled  his  trousers  pockets  with 
cocoanut  cake.  Even  Preble  lost  his  nerve,  and  began 
crowding  molasses  candy  in  his  hip  pocket. 

"  Come  now ;  steady !  "  whispered  Buck,  as  he  led  the 
way. 


BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE   PRICE      221 

Knowlton  stumbled  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and  fell 
forward  against  Kirck,  and  Kirck  imfooted  Billerson,  and 
the  whole  group  began  tumbling  down  the  stairs.  Buck 
braced  himself  against  the  banister,  and  blocked  the  ava- 
lanche. 

"  They  must  have  heard  us.  We  are  lost !  "  quailSd 
Kirck. 

"  Steady ! "  said  Buck  as  they  regained  their  feet.  And 
he  led  them  to  the  ground  floor. 

"  It  won't  do  to  go  out  of  the  door.  We  must  drop 
from  the  rear.  It's  pretty  high ;  but  bend  your  knees  as 
you  strike  the  ground,  and  it  will  be  all  right." 

And  he  led  the  way,  groping  through  the  recitation 
room,  opened  the  rear  window  stealthily,  swung  out  from 
the  sill,  and  dropped  to  the  ground.  It  was  higher  than  he 
thought. 

"  Put  your  feet  on  my  hands  and  lean  in  against  the 
side ;  now  on  my  shoulders.  Steady !  " — and  he  helped 
the  next  one  down;  then  the  others. 

Buck  led  the  way  around  to  the  foot  of  the  steps. 

"  Let's  run,"  said  one. 

"  No ;  stay  with  me,"  replied  Buck. 

The  gas  house  hose  squad  was  coming  up. 

"  Preble,  Billerson,  and  Kirck,  run  up  from  the  rear 
and  join  them." 

They  obeyed,  and  glided  into  the  squad  unnoticed. 

The  engine  squad  soon  followed. 

"  Go  ahead,  Knowlton,  you  and  Henderson ;  I'll 
follow." 

Soon  they  were  absorbed  unnoticed  in  the  squad,  and 
all  reached  formation  in  the  corridor,  and  answered  mus- 
ter. At  last  they  breathed  easy. 

Hunt,  the  four-striper,  read  an  order  from  the  Super- 
intendent, calling  on  the  instigator  of  the  false  alarm  to 


222  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

own  up;  otherwise,  the  whole  battalion  would  be  marched 
double  quick  for  one  hour  up  and  down  Maryland 
Avenue. 

Five  of  the  conspirators  trembled.  Buck  never  turned 
a  hair. 

"  Will  the  instigator  step  forward  ?  " 

Buck,  who  was  in  the  rear,  shouldered  the  front  rank 
man  out  of  place  and  stepped  out. 

"  I  am  the  instigator." 

"  What  name  ?  " 

"  Jones,  B.  P." 

"  Report  to  the  officer  in  charge." 

Buck  marched  half  the  length  of  the  battalion,  around 
the  right  and  into  the  office  of  the  officer  in  charge,  where 
Rumsey,  Carrington,  and  Winewraight  were  looking  over 
the  conduct  report.  Buck  felt  his  blood  run  cold. 

"  I  was  directed  to  report  to  you,  sir,"  he  said  to  Wine- 
wraight as  he  saluted. 

All  three  looked  up  astonished. 

"  What  for  ?  "  asked  Winewraight. 

"  I  am  the  instigator." 

"  Mr.  Jones  reports  that  he  was  the  instigator,"  said 
Winewraight  to  Carrington. 

Carrington  had  become  fond  of  Buck  on  the  cruise,  as 
had  all  the  officers,  and  he  remained  silent,  visibly  af- 
fected. Rumsey  broke  the  silence  with  calm,  impersonal 
accents  that  cut  like  a  sword.  Rumsey  was  a  rigid  disci- 
plinarian; a  disciplinarian  first,  a  man  afterwards. 

"  You  say  that  you  instigated  the  false  fire  alarm, 
Mr.  Jones?" 

Buck  felt  his  heart  rise  in  his  throat,  but  he  answered 
without  any  visible  sign  of  emotion. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  are  under  arrest." 


BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE   PRICE      223 

The  words  seemed  to  strike  Buck  in  the  face.  His 
temples  throbbed  ;  but  he  stirred  not  a  muscle. 

"  Orderly,  direct  the  corporal  of  the  guard  to  report 
here  with  three  marines  under  arms." 

The  orderly  saluted  and  was  off,  and  the  three  officers 
turned  again  to  the  conduct  report. 

The  blood  rushed  to  Buck's  cheeks.  His  heart 
pounded  against  his  chest.  Strange,  conflicting  emotions 
surged  over  him.  He  could  have  died  at  the  stake,  with- 
out wincing,  for  a  noble  cause.  But  now  he  felt  a  sense 
of  guilt  and  shame,  that  multiplied  tenfold  the  torture. 
"  Under  arrest ;  under  arrest,"  he  kept  repeating  to  him- 
self. 

The  corporal  arrived  with  his  guard  with  fixed  bay- 
onets. 

"  Corporal  of  the  guard,  that  is  your  prisoner."  Rum- 
sey  pointed  at  Buck.  "  Conduct  him  to  the  Santee,  and 
direct  the  commanding  officer,  with  my  compliments,  to 
place  him  in  solitary  confinement  on  bread  and  water 
until  further  notice." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  said  the  corporal,  saluting.  He  then 
turned  to  Buck. 

"  Prisoner,  about  face — forward,  march !  Guard,  for- 
ward, march !  " 

All  night  Buck  tossed  in  his  prison  bunk  with  night- 
mares— a  fugitive  from  justice;  pursued  over  land  and 
sea.  Once  he  saw  his  father  and  mother,  but  he  was 
ashamed  to  show  his  face,  and  fled  on. 

The  pies,  tarts,  and  turkey,  the  jam,  ham,  and  cakes 
and  candies  raised  rebellion  within.  Pursued  to  the  end 
of  the  earth,  he  was  captured  and  ordered  to  be  shot.  The 
execution  was  at  hand.  He  looked  into  the  muzzles  of 
the  leveled  rifles.  "  O  God  !  If  I  were  only  not  guilty !  " 
The  volley  flashed.  Pains  darted  through  his  body.  He 


224  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

awakened,  doubled  up  with  cramps,  the  cold  sweat  stand- 
ing out  on  his  forehead.  Echoes  were  still  reverberating. 
It  was  the  morning  gun. 

"  I  know  what  it  must  be  like  in  hell.  It's  the  guilt 
that  torments." 

He  got  up  and  rubbed  his  stomach,  and  leaned  on  the 
edge  of  the  bunk  to  ease  the  pain,  and  began  to  analyze 
the  degree  of  his  guilt,  when  the  master-at-arms  came 
down  and  directed  the  sentry  on  guard  to  conduct  his 
prisoner  to  breakfast  formation. 

The  officer  in  charge  halted  them  on  the  left  as  the 
battalion  formed.  The  blood  came  to  Buck's  cheeks  as 
he  knew  that  everybody  saw  him  under  the  guard.  Buck 
noticed  the  officer  in  charge  stop  in  front  of  Billerson. 

"  Report,  Mr.  Billerson,  for  spot  on  blouse.  That's 
the  biggest  spot  I  ever  saw  on  a  blouse,  Mr.  Billerson." 

It  was  exactly  the  size  of  a  pie. 

Finally,  Buck  heard  Hunt  read : 

"  Jones,  B.  P.,  neglect  of  regulations ;  having  light 
in  room  after  taps,  while  in  charge  of  room. 

"  Same,  violation  of  regulations ;  sitting  up  after  taps. 

"  Same,  disobedience  of  orders,  in  not  removing 
blankets  from  window,  and  turning  in,  as  ordered  by  the 
officer  of  the  day. 

"  Same,  insubordination ;  using  disrespectful  and  in- 
subordinate language  to  the  officer  of  the  day. 

"  Same,  conduct  unbecoming  a  naval  officer  and  a  gen- 
tleman; purloining  an  object  from  the  desk  of  the  officer 
of  the  day. 

"  Same,  conspiracy  to  the  prejudice  of  good  order  and 
discipline,  in  sounding  a  false  fire  alarm." 

A  suppressed  murmur  passed  along  the  battalion. 
Jo-Jo  and  his  gang  gloated,  and  Pikeman  felt  the  deep- 
est joy  of  his  life. 


BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS*  THE  PRICE      225 

Buck  did  not  hear  the  rest  of  the  report.  He  scarcely 
heard  the  last  charge  as  he  kept  repeating,  "  conduct  un- 
becoming a  naval  officer  and  a  gentleman,"  "  purloining," 
"  purloining."  All  the  other  charges,  grave  as  they  were, 
drifted  to  the  background. 

"It's  an  insult!" 

Buck  followed  behind  the  battalion  as  it  marched  in 
to  breakfast.  Higbrath,  having  been  relieved,  came  out 
of  the  officer-in-charge's  office,  as  Buck  passed.  The  sight 
of  him  stirred  the  elemental  passions  in  Buck's  breast. 

"  I  dare  you  to  say  the  same  thing  now  that  you  are 
off  duty,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

Higbrath's  smile  of  satisfaction  looked  devilish. 

"  You're  a  miserable  coward !  "  Buck  muttered  be- 
tween his  teeth. 

During  breakfast,  Buck  noticed  how  Pikeman  and 
Ninman  gloated  over  the  situation. 

When  the  battalion  rose  from  breakfast,  the  four- 
striper  called  out : 

"  Jones,  B.  P.,  will  report  to  the  Commandant." 

Buck  found  Carrington  looking  very  serious. 

"  Take  a  seat,  Mr.  Jones. — You  had  a  light  burning 
after  taps  ? " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

Carrington  reached  over  and  checked  off  the  first 
report. 

"  You  were  up  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

He  checked  off  the  next. 

"  You  failed  to  turn  in  after  being  ordered  to  do  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

He  checked  off  the  third. 

"  What  language  did  you  use  to  the  officer  of  the 
day?" 


226  BUCfK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  told  him  to  help  himself  to  the  spread  he  took 
away." 

"  Why  did  you  speak  such  words  ?  " 

"  Because  he  spoke  similar  words  to  me ;  told  me  I 
was  selfish  eating  alone,  and  had  had  enough." 

Carrington  put  a  question  mark  after  this  report. 

"  Did  you  purloin  an  object  from  his  desk  ?  " 

"  No,  sir !  "  Buck  rose  to  his  feet  as  he  spoke.  "  I 
took  back  the  spread  that  belonged  to  my  roommate." 

"  Did  he  see  you  do  it  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

At  this  juncture  the  officer-in-charge  entered. 

"  Here  is  a  supplemental  report  Mr.  Higbrath  asks 
to  add,  as  officer  of  the  day  yesterday." 

Carrington  read  it  out  loud. 

"  Jones,  B.  P.,  mutiny;  threatening  his  superior  offi- 
cer, while  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  office." 

"  What  did  you  say  to  him,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

Carrington's  face,  which  had  begun  to  light  up,  now 
took  on  a  terrible  sternness. 

"  I  dared  him  to  say  off  duty  that  I  l  purloined.' 
And  when  he  only  smiled,  I  called  him  a  miserable 
coward." 

Buck's  face  flushed  and  his  fists  began  to  clench  un- 
consciously. 

"  When  was  this  ?  " 

"  As  I  followed  the  battalion  in  to  breakfast." 

Carrington  pressed  the  button  over  his  table.  The 
orderly  appeared. 

"  Orderly,  ask  the  officer-in-charge  to  send  Mr.  Hig- 
brath here." 

Soon  Higbrath  came  in,  showing  a  fiendish  delight  as 
he  saw  Buck  at  the  bar  and  Carrington  looking  so  se- 
rious. 


BUCK  EATS   HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE   PRICE      227 

"  I  notice  your  supplemental  report  says  Mr.  Jones 
threatened  you  while  in  the  performance  of  your  duty. 
When  did  he  threaten  you  ?  " 

"  On  the  way  to  breakfast." 

"  Had  you  been  relieved  as  officer  of  the  day  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  But  I  meant  that  he  threatened  me  for 
having  performed  my  duty  as  officer  of  the  day." 

"  For  reporting  him  for  purloining  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  What  did  he  purloin  ?  " 

"  A  spread." 

"  Did  you  see  him  take  it  ?  " 

"  Does  he  deny  it  ?  "  asked  Higbrath  vehemently. 

"  Simply  answer  my  questions,  Mr.  Higbrath.  Did 
you  see  him  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Do  you  know  of  anyone  who  did  see  him  ? " 

"  No,  sir.  But  I  am  morally  certain  of  it,"  stam- 
mered Higbrath. 

"How  so?" 

"  It  was  on  my  table  when  the  fire  alarm  sounded, 
and  when  I  came  back  it  was  gone." 

"  Is  that  all  the  evidence  you  have  for  making  such 
a  serious  report  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  That  is  all." 

As  Higbrath  went  out  Carrington  took  up  a  pen  and 
scratched  out  the  report  for  purloining.  Buck's  heart 
leaped  with  delight.  It  didn't  matter  about  the  other 
reports  now.  In  gratitude  toward  Carrington  he  was 
ready  to  confess  everything. 

"  You  confess  that  you  sounded  the  false  fire  alarm  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"Why  did  you  do  it?" 


228  BUCK   JONES   AT   ANNAPOLIS 

"  To  get  the  officer  of  the  day  out  of  his  office  so  I 
could  get  the  spread." 

"  Did  you  realize  that  the  whole  Academy  would  be 
roused  out  of  sleep  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  But  I  couldn't  see  any  other  way  of  get- 
ting the  spread." 

"  Why  did  you  want  the  spread  so  much  ?  " 

"  Because  I  didn't  think  he  had  a  right  to  take  it.  I 
told  him  it  belonged  to  my  roommate." 

"  Under  the  regulations,  anything  found  in  clan- 
destine use  is  confiscated,  irrespective  of  its  owner- 
ship." 

"  I  didn't  know  that,  sir." 

"  Who  were  your  accomplices  in  the  fire  alarm  ?  " 

"  I  must  ask  you  to  excuse  me  from  telling." 

"  Do  you  realize  that  in  trials  a  witness  is  required 
to  tell  the  whole  truth  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  On  the  stand,  under  oath,  I  should  have 
to  tell.  But  I  don't  think  I  ought  to  in  this  case,  for  I 
was  altogether  to  blame.  I  thought  of  it,  planned  it,  and 
led  the  others  into  it."  Buck's  voice  began  to  plead. 
"  They  are  all  good  men  and  would  never  have  dreamed 
of  doing  such  a  thing,  but  for  me.  You  can  be  sure  they 
would  never  repeat  it." 

Carrington  did  not  press  the  matter. 

"  One  more  question,  Mr.  Jones.  Mr.  Higbrath  re- 
ported to  the  officer-in-charge  that  he  thought  there  was 
drinking  going  on  in  your  room." 

"  No,  sir !  "  said  Buck  indignantly.  "  There  was  not 
a  drop  of  liquor.  We  were  only  having  fun.  I  was  the 
most  boisterous  one  of  all.  I  haven't  had  much  of  a 
chance  for  fun  lately,  and  I  overdid  it." 

"  You  can  go  to  your  recitation,  Mr.  Jones.  Further 
instructions  will  follow." 


BUCK  EATS  HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE   PRICE      229 

Buck  went  to  his  mathematics,  and  Carrington  went 
over  to  see  the  Superintendent. 

Buck  was  in  the  midst  of  a  problem  at  the  blackboard 
when  the  Commandant's  orderly  appeared  at  the  door  and 
saluted  the  instructor. 

"  A  message  from  the  Commandant  to  Mr.  Jones,  sir. 
He  directs  that  Mr.  Jones  need  not  return  to  the  Santee" 

Buck  had  never  felt  such  relief  in  his  life.  And  his 
delight  was  undiminished  even  when  he  found  on  the 
posted  conduct  report,  three  demerits  for  neglect  of  regu- 
lations ;  five  for  violation  of  regulations ;  seven  for  disobe- 
dience of  orders ;  and  twenty-five  for  conduct  to  the  preju- 
dice of  good  order  and  discipline ;  forty  demerits  in  all, 
that  kept  him  in  the  fourth  conduct  grade  for  three  months. 

"  That's  a  pile  to  get  in  one  day.  I'd  like  to  take 
half  of  them." 

"  It's  all  right,  Preble.  I  have  no  complaint.  Car- 
rington and  Rumsey  are  square." 

To  his  father  Buck  wrote  that  he  was  very  sorry  to  get 
so  many  demerits.  "  I  was  on  the  prison  ship  one  night. 
But  it  wasn't  for  anything  mean.  We  were  having  fun 
on  Thanksgiving,  and  I  went  too  far.  I  think  hereafter 
I'll  know  better  where  fun  ends."  "  I  deserved  all  the 
demerits.  The  authorities  were  absolutely  just,"  he  added 
in  a  postscript. 

On  the  way  from  drill,  Buck  spied  Billerson. 

"  Eh,  there,  Billerson !  How  big  is  that  spot  on  your 
blouse?" 

"  If  you  call  that  a  big  spot,  you  ought  to  see  the  spot 
on  my  vest  and  shirt.  I  had  a  pie  bath." 

When  Buck  remained  after  church  for  the  Chaplain's 
Bible  class,  as  usual,  Pikeman  beckoned  back  over  his 
shoulder  with  his  thumb,  as  he  passed  out  in  the  throng, 
and  said  in  a  loud  voice  to  Ninman : 


230  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Bid  you  ever  see  such  a  hypocrite  ?  And  the  nerve ! 
He  goes  to  Sunday  school  and  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. ;  but  he 
gets  caught  out  after  taps,  sounding  fire  alarms,  and  the 
like.  He's  got  the  devil  in  him." 

During  the  month  of  December  Buck  carried  out  rig- 
idly his  self-imposed  routine.  He  made  good  progress  in 
French,  but  in  giving  so  much  time  to  it,  he  realized  that 
he  was  neglecting  mathematics  and  English;  particularly 
the  former.  So  when  Christmas  came,  with  the  examina- 
tion in  mathematics  set  for  the  next  day,  he  allowed  him- 
self only  one  hour  in  the  morning  and  one  hour  in  the 
afternoon,  during  which  he  took  a  brisk  walk,  and  thought 
about  all  the  dear  ones  at  home.  These  thoughts  brought 
the  tears  to  his  eyes,  and  the  old,  clamoring  homesick 
feeling  in  his  breast.  But  he  ground  his  teeth  together, 
and  was  only  the  more  careful  to  get  back  to  his  room, 
ready  to  continue  work  when  the  hour  was  up,  and  to 
concentrate  his  mind  so  as  not  to  be  disturbed  by  the 
sounds  of  the  others  in  their  frolicking. 

When  he  turned  in  his  papers  at  the  close  of  the  ex- 
amination next  day,  he  felt  a  deep  sense  of  satisfaction; 
felt  that  he  had  actually  done  himself  justice  for  the  first 
time. 

"  I'm  glad  I  didn't  take  Christmas  off." 

After  Saturday-morning  drill  the  cadets  hurried  to 
the  Old  Eecitation  Hall  to  see  the  marks.  As  Buck  came 
up,  Preble  rushed  out. 

"  Buck,  you  knocked  a  four ;  a  cold  four,  on  the  math 
exam." 

An  architect  has  pride  in  the  sight  of  a  great  struc- 
ture, the  offspring  of  his  mind ;  a  conqueror  has  pride  in 
the  map  of  an  empire  he  has  built ;  but  the  full  depth  of 
human  pride  is  only  sounded  by  a  naval  cadet  who  looks 


BUCK   EATS   HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE   PRICE      231 

at  the  bulletin  board  that  shows  he  has  "  knocked  a  four  " 
on  an  examination. 

Buck  felt  the  depths  were  in  commotion;  but  his 
brows  lowered  as  he  asked : 

"  Who  stood  one,  Preble  ?  " 

"  Huff  stood  one  because  he  had  such  good  weeklies. 
But  he  only  made  3.7  on  the  exam." 

This  was  no  consolation  to  Buck.  Those  who  noticed 
him  looking  over  the  heads  of  the  throng  around  the  bul- 
letin boards  wondered  why  he  was  not  laughing  and  smil- 
ing, for  he  was  second  in  mathematics,  third  in  English, 
and  fourth  in  French.  But  instead  of  smiling,  he  had  a 
stolid,  set  look  on  his  face,  which  made  Huff  and  Rix 
feel  nervous,  though,  thus  far,  both  had  a  long  lead,  and 
Huff  was  practically  out  of  sight  of  all  competitors. 

January  was  the  general  review  month,  and  the 
"  weeklies "  counted  for  the  month's  work.  Huff  and 
Rix  were  again  ahead  of  Buck  with  a  large  lead.  It  was 
an  impossibility  for  Buck  to  equal  them  in  weeklies,  when 
he  had  to  give  so  much  time  to  French.  But  he  realized 
that  he  might  make  up  some  of  the  difference  at  least,  if 
he  could  be  sure  of  mastery  of  the  subjects  so  as  to  make 
the  best  examinations. 

The  great  semiannual  examinations  were  at  hand. 
The  mathematics  examination  was  to  be  the  first,  set  for 
Monday.  Buck  did  his  utmost,  but  when  taps  came  Sat- 
urday night,  he  felt  he  was  far  from  ready. 

"  Shall  I  turn  out  after  everything  is  quiet  ? "  he 
asked  himself. 

"  No ;  I  don't  quite  like  it.  It's  against  regulations. 
Then  I  must  study  to-morrow,  like  everybody  else,"  and 
he  began  to  reason  over  with  himself  the  question  of 
studying  on  Sunday. 

For  probably  an  hour  Buck  wrestled.     He  not  only 


232  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

longed  to  stand  first  like  the  others,  but  he  had  made  up 
his  mind  to  stand  first,  and  he  felt  that  the  great  thing 
he  needed  was  time.  A  whole  day,  each  week.  What 
an  advantage  it  would  be !  And  then  with  this  additional 
time,  he  could  allow  himself  to  go  on  the  teams,  and  the 
baseball  nine  and  the  crew.  The  thought  of  giving  up 
the  baseball  nine  and  the  crew  almost  broke  his  heart. 
He  went  over  the  whole  ground.  His  boy  nature  joined 
with  his  ambition  to  plead  for  studying  on  Sunday.  But 
in  vain. 

"  I  haven't  studied  on  Sunday  before,  and  I'll  not 
study  now.  And  I'll  stand  one."  And  having  made  his 
final  decision,  Buck  dropped  off  to  sleep. 

Every  department  of  life  has  its  times  of  tragedy. 
The  semiannual  and  annual  examinations  are  the  tragic 
times  at  Annapolis.  Nineteen  of  Buck's  classmates  were 
bilged  at  this  first  semiannual,  many  of  them  promising 
and  ambitious,  on  whom  the  family  pride  was  centered. 
Gust,  who  had  stood  first  on  the  entrance  examinations, 
and  many  others,  considered  bright  at  home,  were  among 
the  number. 

Oh,  the  tragedy  of  the  cadet  who  is  hovering  over  a 
2.5,  and  in  the  semiannual  finds  one  terrible  question 
after  another  beyond  his  grasp!  Oh,  the  tragedy  of  see- 
ing the  cold,  pitiless  marks  on  the  bulletin,  and  being  di- 
rected to  send  in  his  resignation ! 

Buck  passed  the  best  examination.  But  Huff  and 
Rix  were  close  behind  and  their  higher  marks  on  the 
weeklies  kept  them  far  ahead  for  the  term  as  a  whole. 
So  Buck  entered  upon  the  second  term  with  but  gloomy 
prospects  of  ever  overtaking  Huff  and  Rix;  but  he  ap- 
plied himself  with  an  even  more  rigid  observance  of  his 
routine. 

As  the  spring  began  to  approach  it  became  harder  and 


BUCK  EATS   HIS  CAKE  AND  PAYS  THE   PRICE      233 

harder  to  give  over  to  studies  the  short  respite  during  the 
day ;  particularly  the  time  after  drill,  and  before  supper, 
when  all  the  others  went  out  for  tennis,  baseball,  or  row- 
ing. As  a  partial  compensation,  he  took  great  interest  in 
the  drills,  and  learned  to  get  good  sport  out  of  them;  es- 
pecially the  field  artillery,  where  his  animal  spirits  leaped 
high.  Stationed  at  the  end  of  a  drag  rope,  he  would  pic- 
ture, as  the  battery  dashed  across  the  field,  that  an  enemy 
was  holding  the  position  ahead.  He  was  keen  on  the 
infantry  drills,  too;  especially  when  blank  cartridges 
were  issued,  and  a  sham  battle  was  fought.  He  loved 
to  be  on  the  skirmish  line  and  get  the  order  to  rally,  and 
imagine  that  cavalry  was  charging  them. 

Even  during  the  winter  months,  when  the  drills  were 
indoors,  he  brought  himself  to  enjoy  them ;  particularly 
gymnastics.  After  a  few  lessons  in  boxing,  he  succeeded 
in  landing  a  good  blow  on  the  boxing  master's  jaw. 

"  Come  down  after  supper,  Mr.  Jones,  and  take  spe- 
cial lessons.  I'll  make  you  the  best  boxer  in  the  academy." 

But  Buck  declined.  He  had  mapped  that  time  out 
for  extra  study  of  French  and  Spanish,  the  latter  study 
having  been  taken  up,  elective  by  the  first  two  sections 
in  French. 

When  the  drill  was  dancing,  Buck  took  the  same  keen 
interest,  and  became  proficient;  though  he  said  to  him- 
self, "  I  shall  probably  never  go  to  a  hop." 

Even  in  the  rigging  loft,  where  the  drill  is  considered 
stupid,  Buck  was  all  interest,  and  frequently  surprised 
the  instructor  by  tying  difficult  knots  before  they  had  been 
taught. 

"  Where  did  you  learn  that,  Mr.  Jones  ? " 

"  Casey  taught  me  on  the  cruise,  sir." 

Thus  the  second  term  wore  on,  full  of  hard  work. 
16 


CHAPTEE   XVII 

BUCK    AGAIN    ENTERS    THE    KING 

FEBEUAKY  and  March  passed.  Huff  and  Eix  still 
stood  ahead,  but  Buck's  rigid  system  of  study  was 
making  itself  felt.  He  pulled  up  a  number  and 
forged  ahead  of  Eix  in  French;  so  in  April  he  decided 
he'd  give  a  little  more  time  to  mathematics.  Huff  and 
Eix  never  ceased  to  put  forth  their  utmost  exertions ;  but 
the  warm  spring  weather  seemed  to  pull  down  heavily. 
They  were  dismayed  at  the  end  of  the  month  to  find  that 
Buck  stood  first  in  mathematics,  having  again  made  a  four 
on  the  examination ;  while  he  stood  second  in  English,  and 
held  his  third  place  in  French  and  third  in  Spanish. 

May  was  probably  the  hardest  month  of  all  for  Buck. 
It  was  so  bright  and  alluring;  at  times  he  felt  as  though 
he  must  put  down  his  books,  especially  on  Saturday  af- 
ternoon, and  go  out  and  play  ball  and  row  with  the  crew. 
But  he  held  himself  rigidly  to  his  self-appointed  routine. 

He  had  developed  into  a  remarkable  shot,  both  with 
the  pistol  and  the  rifle,  and  was  urged  to  put  in  more  time. 
He  wanted  to  become  the  best  shot  in  the  Academy,  but 
decided  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  stand  first,  and 
that  he  would  adhere  to  his  regime  until  then.  So  he  only 
dropped  by  the  pistol  gallery  and  the  rifle  range  about 
twenty  minutes  out  of  the  hour  allotted  to  recreation  Sat- 
urday afternoon. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Buck  derived  a  great  deal  of 
234 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE   RING  235 

recreation  and  a  good  deal  of  sport  out  of  the  drills  and 
exercises,  and  a  good  deal  of  fun,  even  out  of  the  hazing 
and  running,  though  he  was  usually  the  worst  victim  of 
all.  However,  he  positively  refused  to  do  anything  for 
Jo-Jo  Kerr.  Jo-Jo's  gang  had  made  a  practice  of  getting 
three  or  four  plehes  out  hehind  the  gas  house  late  in  the 
afternoon,  after  drill,  on  week  days,  and  after  supper, 
on  Saturdays. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  it  is  your  turn.  Report  at  the  gas  house 
after  supper,"  directed  Gillespie,  one  of  the  gang,  as  Buck 
was  going  up  to  supper  formation  Saturday. 

"  You  come,  too,  Mr.  Dreggs,"  he  added,  as  Dreggs,  a 
September  plebe,  passed  at  that  time. 

"  Please,  sir,  let  me  off  to-night.  My  mother  is  in 
town,  and  I  have  an  engagement  to  join  her  immediately 
after  supper,"  pleaded  Dreggs. 

"  What  do  I  care  for  that  ?  You'd  better  be  there  on 
time." 

Dreggs  was  much  disturbed,  but  after  supper  finally 
decided  to  send  a  note  to  his  mother,  to  keep  her  from 
getting  uneasy.  So  he  dispatched  the  note,  telling  her 
that  he  had  to  report  to  Jo-Jo's  gang  behind  the  gas 
house. 

The  gang  was  all  present  that  night,  and  had  a  half 
dozen  plebes  going  through  the  stunts.  All  went  smoothly 
until  Jo-Jo  ordered  Buck  to  "  dive  for  Casey  "  under  one 
of  the  old  cannon.  Buck  never  budged. 

"  You  refuse  ?  "  asked  Jo-Jo  savagely. 

"  Yes." 

"  Put  on  '  sir  '  when  you  speak  to  an  upper  classman." 

Buck  said  nothing. 

"  I  told  you  how  he  was,  Whaley,"  said  Jo-Jo.  "  He 
knows  I  am  too  big  to  fight  him." 

Buck's  lip  began  to  curl. 


236  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

All  the  upper  classmen  began  to  center  around  Buck 
to  the  neglect  of  Dreggs  and  the  others,  who  were  left 
standing  on  their  heads. 

"  Leave  Mr.  Jones  to  me,"  said  Whaley,  coming  up 
close  to  Buck.  "  You  refuse  to  obey  Mr.  Kerr  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Do  you  want  to  fight  ?  " 

"No,  sir.     I  don't  want  to  fight." 

"  You'll  have  to  obey  Mr.  Kerr  or  fight  me." 

"  I'll  not  obey  Mr.  Kerr." 

"  Then  get  your  seconds  and  meet  me  in  twenty  min- 
utes in  room  thirty-one  on  the  top  floor  of  the  New  Quar- 
ters." 

At  this  juncture  a  woman's  scream  was  heard. 

"  Oh,  my  boy !  My  poor  boy !  "  And  Mrs.  Dreggs 
rushed  over  to  her  son  standing  on  his  head. 

They  were  all  about  to  laugh,  when  behind  her  they 
saw  the  officer-in-charge  coming  up  on  one  side  and  the 
officer  of  the  day  on  the  other. 

"  Caught  red-handed,  gentlemen,"  remarked  the  offi- 
cer-in-charge, as  he  had  the  officer  of  the  day  write  down 
all  the  names  of  the  upper  classmen  and  of  the  plebes. 

There  was  wild  consternation  among  Jo-Jo's  gang, 
and  soon  the  air  was  full  of  rumors  of  how  Dreggs  and 
his  mother  had  trapped  the  whole  gang  and  any  number 
of  the  other  second  classmen  were  caught,  and  were  sure 
of  dismissal.  But  Buck  paid  little  attention  to  the  matter 
of  reports. 

"  Henderson,  will  you  be  one  of  my  seconds  ?  Bill- 
erson,  will  you  provide  the  bucket  of  water  and  the 
sponge  ?  " 

Then  he  went  off  to  find  Preble. 

"  Preble,  will  you  be  my  second  ?  Jo-Jo  tried  to  run 
me  and  Whaley  took  it  up.  It'll  be  to  a  finish." 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE   RING  237 

Buck  spoke  slowly  and  deliberately  between  his  set 
jaws. 

Preble  knew  only  too  well  that  it  would  be  to  a  finish. 
He  knew  that  Whaley  was  the  best  boxer  in  the  Academy, 
and  that  he  was  dead  game.  And  he  knew  what  the  set 
look  on  Buck's  face  meant. 

"  It's  a  confounded  shame,  Buck,  for  two  good  men 
like  you  and  Whaley  to  fight  over  such  a  man  as  Jo- Jo." 

"  I  did  everything  Whaley  ordered.  It  was  not  nec- 
essary for  him  to  take  Jo-Jo's  fight.  I  have  seen  this  com- 
ing on  for  a  long  time.  Whaley  thinks  that  I  need  taking 
down.  He  made  up  his  mind  to  fight  me  long  ago.  This 
is  only  the  opportunity  he  has  been  waiting  for." 

Buck  began  making  his  preparations. 

"  Promise  me,  Preble,  that  you  will  not  let  them  take 
me  away,  no  matter  how  badly  used  up  I  may  seem.  I'm 
going  to  stick  it  out.  Go  by  the  gymnasium,"  he  contin- 
ued, "  and  bring  my  gym  slippers  and  trousers,  and  bring 
some  resin." 

Preble  began  to  get  nervous  and  pale. 

"  Don't  fail  me,  Preble.  Swear  you  will  stand  by  me 
this  time !  " 

"  I'll  stand  by  you,  Buck." 

Fifteen  minutes  from  the  time  the  group  at  the  gas 
house  broke  up,  the  parties  were  assembled  in  the  fighting 
room.  Preble  had  brought  face  towels  and  bath  towels,  a 
bottle  of  ammonia,  and  a  heart  stimulant,  called  amyl 
nitrate,  which  he  got  at  the  drug  store. 

Getting  caught  hazing  was  a  tragedy.  Ten  second 
classmen  were  involved.  But  even  this  took  second  place 
when  it  became  known  that  Whaley  and  Buck  had  gone  to 
the  fighting  room. 

"  Whaley  will  knock  him  out  in  twenty  minutes,"  was 
the  general  comment. 


238  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

The  door  was  locked,  and  a  sentinel  stationed  at  the 
head  of  the  stairs.  By  7.40  everything  was  ready.  The 
two  beds,  tables,  wash  stands,  and  wardrobes  had  been 
shifted  into  one  corner  of  the  room.  This  room  had  be- 
come the  fighting  room  because  it  was  larger  than  the 
others,  and  farthest  from  the  office  of  the  officer-in-charge, 
and  the  gas  fixtures  were  out  at  the  sides  instead  of  in 
the  center,  leaving  a  larger  space  and  giving  a  more  even 
light. 

Buck  and  his  seconds  were  located  near  the  window; 
Whaley  and  his  near  the  door.  Fonste,  who  had  agreed 
to  referee,  was  in  the  center,  watch  in  hand. 

"  Gentlemen,  are  you  ready  ?  " 

The  principals  stepped  out,  stripped  to  the  waist,  both 
perfect  specimens.  It  was  apparent  that  Whaley  was  in 
better  training.  His  biceps  and  shoulder  muscles  stood 
out  like  a  professional  prize  fighter's.  Buck,  however, 
looked  firm  and  solid,  with  uniform  development.  They 
were  about  the  same  height  and  weight,  though  Buck 
looked  a  mere  boy,  Whaley  being  clearly  four  or  five  years 
his  senior.  The  moment  they  took  position  and  raised 
their  guards,  the  disparity  in  skill  was  glaring.  Buck  had 
only  taken  the  boxing  lessons  given  during  the  winter  ex- 
ercises. Whaley  had  taken  special  lessons  for  three  years, 
and  for  two  years  had  had  no  match  in  the  Academy. 

They  began  by  sparring  lightly,  cautiously,  keeping 
well  away.  Whaley  soon  found  out  Buck's  want  of  skill, 
and  began  to  land  his  blows  with  scientific,  almost  mathe- 
matical precision,  Buck  making  but  a  poor  showing  in  his 
efforts  to  parry.  The  first  round  Whaley  landed  a  stiff 
blow  on  Buck's  right  eye,  and  another  in  the  cheek,  while 
Buck  never  came  anywhere  near  getting  in  a  blow.  "  It's 
all  one  way,"  thought  Fonste.  Jo-Jo  beamed  with  satis- 
faction. 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE  RING  239 

During  the  second  and  third  rounds,  Whaley  played 
on  Buck's  face  like  a  performer  on  a  piano.  Buck  only 
got  in  a  glancing  blow  that  amounted  to  nothing. 

"  Show  him  your  muck  this  time,"  whispered  Jo-Jo 
in  Whaley's  ear,  as  he  advanced  for  the  fourth  round. 

Whaley  smiled  his  relish. 

For  some  time  it  seemed  there  would  be  no  execution 
in  this  round.  Whaley  was  playing  for  a  good  opening, 
and  presently,  quick  as  a  flash,  he  landed  a  staggering  blow 
on  Buck's  nose.  Buck's  hands  flew  up.  He  seemed  to 
stagger.  The  blood  spurted  from  both  nostrils.  But 
quick  as  thought  he  was  back  on  guard,  made  one  feint, 
then  rushed  Whaley,  broke  down  his  guard  and  landed 
a  crashing  blow  in  his  right  eye. 

During  the  fifth  and  sixth  rounds,  Whaley  became 
cautious  again,  and  landed  four  damaging  blows,  without 
receiving  any  punishment  himself. 

"  It's  time  for  a  knock-out  blow,  old  chap,"  whispered 
Jo-Jo  to  Whaley,  as  he  advanced  for  the  seventh  round. 

Buck  realized  from  Whaley's  play  that  he  was  pre- 
paring for  a  surprise.  It  came  without  warning.  With 
the  swiftness  of  a  cat,  and  the  strength  of  an  ox,  Whaley 
made  an  uppercut  with  all  his  might,  landing  full  under. 
Buck's  chin.  Lightning  seemed  to  flash  through  Buck's 
brain ;  everything  turned  dark.  He  suddenly  realized  that 
he  was  on  his  knees  swaying  from  side  to  side,  his  seconds 
rushing  up.  He  fairly  leaped  to  his  feet. 

"  Back !  "  he  said,  as  he  shoved  his  seconds  out  of  the 
way,  and  rushed  upon  Whaley. 

He  received  a  blow  between  the  eyes,  but  paid  no 
heed.  Through  Whaley's  guard  he  rushed,  and  with  a 
thud  landed  a  body  blow  that  echoed  about  the  room. 
Whaley  gasped  and  staggered.  Buck  turned  for  another 
rush. 


240  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"Time!"  called  Fonste.  "Gentlemen,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  I  would  suggest  that  it  be  called  a  draw." 

Whaley  shook  his  head.     Buck  shook  his  head. 

During  the  eighth  round,  Whaley  sparred  for  wind, 
landing  only  a  few  light  blows  on  Buck's  cheeks  and  eyes, 
which  were  already  reduced  to  pulp. 

Just  before  the  end  of  the  ninth  round,  the  whole 
group  was  surprised  to  see  Buck  land  a  clean,  scientific, 
but  heavy  blow  in  Whaley 's  left  eye. 

"  He  keeps  his  head  all  the  time,"  thought  Fonste. 

"  Don't  get  careless,"  whispered  Jo-Jo  to  Whaley,  as 
he  saw  Whaley  was  beginning  to  lose  his  temper. 

At  the  outset  of  the  tenth  round,  Whaley  rushed  Buck 
and  landed  two  heavy  blows  in  quick  succession.  But 
Buck  followed  him  back,  and  landed  two  blows  equally  as 
effective  before  he  got  away.  Whaley  was  in  a  rage.  He 
lunged  out  with  a  wild,  vicious  blow.  Buck  parried,  and 
with  a  counter  caught  Whaley  on  the  bridge  of  the  nose, 
and  the  blood  poured  forth. 

"  It  is  now  nine  o'clock,  gentlemen,  and  I  would 
again  suggest  that  we  call  it  a  draw." 

Whaley  shook  his  head.  Buck  shook  his.  Whaley 
had  thought  his  prey  so  easy,  he  was  becoming  impatient 
to  finish  him  up. 

The  eleventh  was  a  brutal  round.  Three  times  they 
clinched.  Whaley  had  become  reckless.  He  cared  but 
little  for  his  own  guard.  Each  blow  he  wanted  to  be  a 
knock-out  blow.  Twice  he  landed  a  furious  blow  on 
Buck's  body,  but  twice  received  in  return  a  staggering 
blow  in  the  face,  coming  forth  with  his  nose  broken. 
A  bloody  sight  they  looked  as  they  drew  off  from  the 
eleventh  round,  both  covered  with  blood,  both  spitting 
blood  and  bleeding  at  the  nose.  It  made  Preble  sick  at 
the  stomach,  and  Jo-Jo  began  to  take  alarm. 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE  RING  241 

"  Don't  let  him  get  in,"  he  cautioned  Whaley. 

But  Whaley  was  in  a  blinding  rage. 

At  the  opening  of  the  twelfth  round,  he  caught  Buck 
with  another  uppercut  under  the  chin,  that  stretched  him 
flat  upon  the  floor;  but  Buck  was  up  in  an  instant. 
Whaley  tried  to  fight  him  back,  but  he  broke  down  his 
guard,  and,  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  landed  an  upper- 
cut  under  Whaley's  chin,  that  laid  him  flat  out  in 
turn. 

"Time!  It  is  now  9.30,  gentlemen,  and  again  I 
would  urge  that  we  call  it  a  draw." 

Whaley  shook  his  head,  anger  showing  in  his  eyes. 
Buck  shook  his  head ;  but  there  was  not  the  slightest  evi- 
dence of  emotion.  Whaley  now  looked  nearly  as  bad  as 
Buck;  both  were  pounded  to  jelly,  and  smeared  with 
blood.  Whaley  was  breathing  through  his  mouth.  Buck's 
mouth  was  firmly  closed,  except  at  intervals  when  he 
turned  to  spit  out  a  mouthful  of  blood. 

"  You'll  have  to  let  him  have  the  temple  cut,  Whaley," 
whispered  Jo-Jo.  "  You  needn't  have  any  fears.  He's 
made  of  whitleather." 

Buck  was  surprised  to  see  Whaley  start  up  the  thir- 
teenth round  cautiously,  sparring  for  an  opening,  though 
impatient  rage  flashed  from  his  eyes.  Buck  had  never 
heard  of  the  dangerous  "  temple  cut."  He  saw  Whaley 
advance  with  his  guard  half  down,  and  was  about  to 
take  advantage  of  the  opening,  when  suddenly  Whaley 
half  whirled,  clearing  the  way  with  his  left  hand,  and 
with  a  swinging,  crashing  blow,  struck  Buck  in  the 
temple. 

"  My  skull  is  crushed,"  thought  Buck,  as  all  turned 
black. 

The  next  thing  he  knew,  the  smell  of  ammonia  was 
in  his  nostrils.  Consciousness  came  back  like  a  flash. 


242  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Bring  the  amyl,"  lie  heard  Preble  say.  But  in  an  in- 
stant he  was  on  his  feet.  He  reeled  at  first,  but  started 
toward  Whaley,  who  half  smiled  a  satanic  smile,  as  if  to 
say,  "  That  ended  you.  You  needn't  try  any  more." 
But  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  Buck  put  up  his  guard, 
drew  a  few  deep  breaths,  rushed  Whaley,  and  like  a  thun- 
derbolt, gave  him  a  swinging  temple  cut  that  stretched 
him  out  upon  the  floor. 

Jo-Jo  shook  him.  There  was  no  response.  Gillespie 
threw  a  half  bucket  of  cold  water  over  his  face.  No  sign. 

"  Gentlemen,  take  your  positions." 

Buck  stepped  out.  Fonste  marked  the  time :  "  Five 
seconds  more ;  three  seconds ;  time  is  up.  I  award  the 
contest  to  Mr.  Jones." 

Fonste  then  went  over  to  examine  Whaley.  He  was 
still  as  limp  as  a  rag.  No  breathing  yet.  Fonste  put  his 
ear  down  on  his  chest. 

"  His  heart  has  stopped." 

Panic  seized  the  crowd. 

"  A  moment,"  said  Buck  imperatively  as  he  went 
over  to  Whaley's  prostrate  form.  "  Bring  me  the  amyl, 
Preble." 

Preble  brought  it,  and  Buck  soaked  the  end  of  a  towel 
and  put  it  over  Whaley's  mouth  and  nose,  and  began  to 
press  down  upon  his  chest.  In  time  there  was  an  indica- 
tion of  a  return  of  breathing,  and  soon  Buck  put  his  ear 
down  and  heard  the  heart  begin  to  flutter  a  little,  then  stop. 
Then  he  applied  the  amyl  and  the  respiration,  and  soon  it 
fluttered  again. 

"  Preble,  go  for  the  surgeon.  Henderson,  stay  with 
me.  The  rest  of  you  had  better  go  to  your  rooms." 

They  obeyed.  When  the  surgeon  and  the  officer-in- 
charge  finally  came,  there  were  only  Buck  and  Henderson ; 
no  upper  classmen. 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE  RING  243 

"  His  heart  flutters  and  beats  a  little  at  intervals,  doc- 
tor, but  he  hasn't  begun  to  breathe  yet,"  said  Buck. 

"  This  looks  like  a  slaughter  pen,"  remarked  the  offi- 
cer-in-charge,  as  he  looked  about  at  the  blood  that  covered 
the  floor  and  even  spattered  the  walls. 

The  surgeon  examined  Whaley  carefully;  went  over 
the  body  bruises,  the  neck,  the  face  and  the  head. 

"  The  blow  on  the  temple  did  the  work.  It's  a  ques- 
tion of  the  heart." 

"  Look  here,  Mr.  Jones,"  and  Dr.  Woodgate  began  ex- 
amining Buck's  wounds.  "  You  are  more  done  up  than  Mr. 
Whaley,  and  a  heavier  blow  on  the  temple.  Did  your 
heart  stop  ?  " 

"  For  a  short  while  only,  sir." 

"  How  is  it  now  ?  " 

"  All  right,  sir." 

The  surgeon  turned  to  the  officer-in-charge. 

"  Send  for  my  assistant.  Tell  him  to  prepare  for  an 
operation  for  concussion  of  the  brain.  Direct  the  hospital 
steward  and  nurses  to  bring  a  stretcher. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  you'd  better  go  straight  to  the  hospital 
and  go  to  bed.  I'll  come  and  dress  your  wounds  as  soon 
as  I  can  leave  Mr.  Whaley." 

"  Please,  sir,  I'm  all  right.  I'd  prefer  not  to  go  to 
the  hospital.  Let  me  help  you." 

"  You've  done  what  was  needed  already.  You  may 
have  saved  him.  I  can't  tell  yet.  Now  you'd  better  look 
out  for  yourself." 

The  cadets  had  been  gathering  in  groups  for  an  hour 
previous.  Wild  rumors  began  to  circulate  when  the  fight 
broke  up,  when  Whaley,  still  unconscious,  was  taken  on  a 
stretcher  to  the  hospital.  The  report  went  forth  that  he 
was  dead,  and  that  Buck  was  dying.  The  rumor  spread 
to  the  town ;  thence  to  Baltimore.  The  next  morning  the 


244  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

papers  had  it :  "A  terrible  hazing  fight  to  the  death. 
Whaley,  of  Texas,  a  second  classman,  dead ;  and  Jones,  of 
Alabama,  a  plebe,  dying." 

Buck  could  not  sleep  that  night.  Preble  stayed  up 
applying  a  cold  pack  and  raw  beef,  but  these  applications 
could  not  stop  the  terrible  headache  that  set  in,  the  first 
headache  he  had  ever  had.  About  midnight  the  surgeon 
came  in. 

"How  is  Mr.  Whaley?" 

"  We  can't  tell  yet.     How  are  you  ?  " 

"  All  right ;  but  my  head  aches." 

"  Of  course  your  head  aches,  Mr.  Jones.  The  wonder 
is  it  hasn't  split."  And  he  gave  him  a  capsule,  after 
which  Buck  dropped  off  into  a  dazed  sleep. 

At  reveille,  the  surgeon  came  again. 

"  How  are  you  now  ?  " 

"  All  right,  sir,  but  a  little  dazed.  I'll  have  to  get 
you  to  lance  my  eyes  so  I  can  see  out." 

The  surgeon  expected  Buck  to  keel  over  when  he  got 
up  to  dress ;  but  was  surprised  to  see  him  proceed  as  usual. 
Buck  felt  light-headed,  but  even  the  surgeon  could  de- 
tect no  sign  of  heart  failure.  He  came  prepared  to  tell 
Buck  that  they  would  send  a  stretcher  for  him  in  a  short 
while  and  take  him  to  the  hospital.  But  to  his  utter 
surprise  Buck  finished  dressing,  and  went  out  for  break- 
fast formation,  passing  the  men  coming  down  with  the 
stretcher. 

Buck's  face  looked  like  a  wasp's  nest,  and  ugly,  black 
lumps  and  blotches  covered  him  from  the  top  of  his  head 
down  to  the  belt. 

By  Sunday  night  correspondents  began  to  arrive,  and 
telegrams  began  coming  in  from  all  parts  of  the  country. 
For  two  weeks  Whaley  hovered  between  life  and  death. 
The  whole  nation  was  stirred.  Every  newspaper  in  the 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE   RING  245 

land  cried  out  against  "  the  barbarous,  brutal  practice  of 
hazing." 

A  court-martial  was  called.  Jo-Jo  and  his  whole  gang 
were  convicted  of  hazing  and  were  dismissed,  and  fifteen 
others  besides,  who  had  never  dreamed  of  being  found 
out.  Buck  hated  to  go  on  the  stand,  but  had  to  do  it, 
and  under  the  searching  questions  of  the  judge  advocate, 
he  had  to  tell  everything.  These  dismissals  didn't  satisfy 
the  country.  Reforms  were  demanded.  A  congressional 
committee  of  investigation  was  appointed  and  came  to  An- 
napolis. Fortunately,  before  it  finished  its  sittings,  Wha- 
ley  passed  the  danger  point  and  began  to  recover.  The 
committee  returned  to  Washington,  nevertheless,  with  rec- 
ommendations to  Congress  for  drastic  legislation. 

As  soon  as  Whaley  was  well  enough,  he  also  was  court- 
martialed,  found  guilty,  and  dismissed.  Buck  pleaded 
for  him  before  the  court  in  vain.  He  got  a  special  day's 
leave,  and  went  down  to  Washington  and  pleaded  with  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  with  the  President ;  and  got 
the  Senator  from  Alabama  to  take  up  Whaley's  cause, 
and  finally  succeeded  in  getting  Whaley  reinstated.  It 
being  dangerous  for  him  to  study  for  the  approaching  ex- 
aminations, he  was  turned  back  to  the  next  class.  On 
their  way  back  to  Annapolis  together,  Whaley  said : 

"  Jones,  why  was  it  that  you  refused  to  take  running 
from  Jo-Jo  ?  " 

"  When  I  whipped  him  last  year,  it  was  agreed  be- 
tween us." 

"  He  lied  to  me  about  it,"  replied  Whaley.  "  I'm 
disgusted  with  the  whole  thing,"  he  added,  and  paused. 
"  And  I'm  thoroughly  ashamed  of  that  fight." 

"  So  am  I,"  said  Buck. 

Another  pause. 

"  Fighting  is  silly,  anyhow." 


246  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  agree  with  you  thoroughly,"  replied  Buck. 

The  effect  of  the  upheaval  against  hazing  was  felt  for 
many  years,  and  the  new  classes  that  derived  the  benefit 
all  attributed  their  good  fortune  to  the  terrible  Whaley- 
Jones  fight. 

It  was  a  strange,  new  sensation  for  the  plebes  to  see 
a  new  class  come  in  during  May.  Buck  wondered,  when 
he  looked  at  the  shy,  awkward  new  plebes,  if  he  had  looked 
that  way  only  a  year  ago. 

The  year  had  indeed  made  a  tremendous  change.  The 
annual  physical  examination  showed  that  he  had  grown 
two  inches  and  a  half,  and  had  gained  twenty-two  pounds, 
and  was  beginning  to  be  ranked  as  one  of  the  big  men  of 
his  class.  The  rigid  mental  exercise  and  discipline  had 
produced  equally  pronounced  results,  particularly  in  the 
power  of  concentration  and  of  grappling  quickly  with  new 
problems,  which  became  more  and  more  evident  upon  ex- 
aminations. 

Buck  made  the  highest  annual  examinations,  as  he 
had  made  the  highest  semiannual ;  but  the  great  lead  Huff 
had  in  monthly  averages  carried  him  far  ahead,  first  in 
each  and  every  study.  Buck's  heavy  gains  toward  the  end 
put  him  ahead  of  Rix,  so  that  he  stood  second  in  studies ; 
but  when  the  final  marks  were  worked  out,  with  the  de- 
merits included,  Rix  was  second.  Each  demerit  takes  off 
so  much.  Rix  had  but  eighteen ;  Buck  had  a  hundred  and 
sixty-five. 

There  were  seven  "  stars "  in  the  class  with  over 
eighty-five  per  cent,  and  to  be  third  was  considered  a  great 
honor. 

"  Third,  third,"  pondered  Buck,  when  the  final  aver- 
ages were  posted.  "  1  must  be  first !  " 

It  was  the  first  time  in  Buck's  life  that  a  year's  work 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE   RING  247 

had  left  him  in  any  but  first  place.  The  experience  was 
a  bitter  one,  but  he  never  brooded  over  it  a  moment. 
Herein  he  showed  the  fiber  of  his  character,  which  had 
made  leaps  and  bounds  in  development  during  the  year, 
beyond  even  the  physical  and  mental  development. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Huff.  It's  great !  !  Far  ahead 
in  everything !  We  can't  reach  up  to  you  with  a  ten-foot 
pole ! "  Buck  shook  Huff's  hand  heartily,  and  both 
smiled. 

"  I'll  give  you  another  try  next  year." 

Buck  smiled  with  a  broad,  frank  smile.  But  Huff 
saw  the  look  in  his  eye,  and  felt  nervous  for  the  future. 

"  Allow  me  to  congratulate  you,  too,  Rix.  It's  rough 
to  lose  a  number  on  demerits,  but  I  deserve  it." 

When  Buck  turned  away  from  the  bulletin  board,  he 
put  the  completed  year  entirely  out  of  mind.  In  fact, 
the  moment  he  came  out  of  the  last  of  the  annual  exam- 
inations, he  turned  his  rigid  routine  upside  down.  He 
rushed  off  for  a  tennis  game ;  and  soon  had  a  tournament 
arranged  to  come  off  in  graduation  week.  He  started  up 
a  scrub  baseball  nine,  and  issued  a  challenge  to  the  offi- 
cers' nine: 

"  The  new  third  class  challenges  their  instructors  to 
meet  them  in  the  open."  And  the  game  was  the  event 
of  graduation  week.  The  officers  completely  unbent,  and 
the  most  dignified  ones  made  the  most  ludicrous  errors. 
Some  played  who  hadn't  played  in  twenty  years.  The 
third  classmen  won,  twenty-nine  to  seventeen. 

"  We  are  even  now !  "  cried  out  Buck ;  "  but  you'd 
better  give  us  better  marks  next  year." 

Buck  got  up  a  long-distance  swimming  contest,  open 
for  all  comers.  Ten  entered.  They  started  at  Graveyard 
Creek  Bridge,  with  two  cutters  pulling  along  with  the 
swimmers.  All  reached  the  Phlox's  wharf,  with  Buck  in 


248  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

the  rear.  Five  dropped  out  between  the  Phlox's  wharf 
and  the  Saniee,  at  which  point  Buck  was  third.  Three 
more  asked  to  be  picked  up  within  the  next  mile,  leaving 
Lockwood,  a  first  classman,  and  Buck  alone.  On  they 
swam.  At  last,  off  Newbury  Point  lighthouse,  Lockwood 
called :  "  Jones,  you  win !  I've  had  enough !  "  Billerson, 
who  was  in  the  cutter,  declared  that  Buck  had  only  gotten 
well  into  his  second  wind,  and  would  have  crossed  the 
bay  to  Kent  Island,  if  Lockwood  hadn't  given  up. 

When  the  rifle  team  went  out  for  the  skirmish  run 
in  the  finals,  Buck,  who  had  not  entered,  or  tried  to 
qualify,  picked  up  a  rifle,  and  made  the  highest  score  yet 
made  on  a  skirmish  run. 

"  I'll  try  the  rest,"  and  he  proceeded  to  make  the 
highest  score  at  all  the  different  ranges. 

"  The  prize  belongs  to  Jones,"  several  contestants  de- 
clared at  the  close. 

"  No,  indeed.     I'm  not  entered.     I  had  good  luck." 

And  Buck  positively  declined  to  allow  the  rules  to  be 
suspended. 

"  I'm  very  much  obliged  for  letting  me  go  along.  It 
was  fine  sport." 

"  I'm  having  the  time  of  my  life,"  wrote  Buck  to 
Hugh,  his  brother.  And  he  did  have  a  great  time  those 
days  when  the  year's  work  was  over,  and  before  the  third 
class  cruise  began.  After  the  drills  and  exercises  before 
the  Board  of  Visitors,  morning  and  afternoon,  Buck  and 
some  other  enthusiasts  always  had  some  kind  of  sport. 
The  daylight  was  not  long  enough.  After  supper  they 
continued  in  the  gymnasium. 

At  last  graduation  came,  at  which  the  plebes  became 
third  classmen.  This  promotion  staggers  the  imagination. 
There  is  nothing  like  it  in  human  experience.  Being 
made  full  admiral,  with  the  vote  of  thanks  of  Congress, 


BUCK  AGAIN   ENTERS  THE   RING  249 

is  nothing  in  comparison.  The  plebes  came  back  from 
chapel,  Buck  in  the  midst,  swelling  their  chests  with  the 
pride  of  their  new  importance.  They  swaggered  through 
Lovers'  Lane,  and  lounged  on  the  gunbacked  seats,  with 
their  caps  on  the  back  of  their  heads.  They  spoke  to 
upper  classmen  without  saying  "  Mister,"  or  putting  on 
"Sir."  Oh,  the  leap!  the  mighty  leap,  from  the  abyss 
of  a  plebe  to  the  dizzy  height  of  a  third  classman! 


17 


CHAPTEE    XVIII 

BUCK  LEAKNS  THE  TEKKOK  OF  THE  SEA 

FOE.   several    weeks    many   rumors    had   been    afloat 
about  the  summer  cruise.     It  was  stated  that  one 
of  the  ships  of  the  "  New  Navy  "  would  be  used, 
and  that  the  cruise  would  be  under  steam  and  would  ex- 
tend to  the  Mediterranean.     Another  rumor  had  it  that 
there  was  some  trouble  in  Central  America,  involving  our 
canal  concessions,  and  that  the  practice  cruise  would  be 
taken  advantage  of  to  show  our  flag  in  Nicaraguan  waters 
and  off  the  Mosquito  Coast. 

Saturday  noon  before  graduation  week,  the  James- 
town came  into  the  harbor  under  tow,  and  was  moored 
at  the  Constellation's  buoy.  That  put  an  end  to  these 
rumors. 

"  It's  to  be  just  the  same  old  cruise,"  remarked  Preble 
with  disappointment,  as  he  and  Buck  came  in  from  the 
parade  of  reception  to  the  Board  of  Visitors,  "  and  the 
only  difference,  we'll  have  to  crowd  together  in  a  smaller 
ship." 

Buck,  however,  was  keen  with  interest,  and  could  not 
wait  till  after  dinner,  but  hurried  down  to  the  wharf  and 
pulled  off  to  the  Jamestown. 

"  Is  Casey  on  board  ?  "  he  asked  eagerly,  as  he  came 
over  the  side.  Then  he  caught  sight  of  Casey  and  rushed 
forward. 

Such  a  hand  clasp  as  they  had! 
250 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA        251 

"  You  look  so  well,  Casey — and  you've  finally  ac- 
cepted a  warrant — Boatswain  Casey !  !  It's  fine !  " 
Buck  could  not  conceal  his  joy. 

"  How  you've  grown,  Mr.  Jones — I  have  never  seen 
anything  like  it."  Casey  beamed  all  over.  "  Have  you 
seen  John  Anderson  and  Ol  Olsen  and  Pat  Kelly? 
They  are  all  on  board  except  Kelly,  who  is  on  the 
Kearsarge,  that  is  on  her  way.  Anderson  is  a  boatswain's 
mate  now,  and  Olsen  is  captain  of  the  foretop." 

At  this  point  the  corporal  of  the  guard  came  up. 

"  The  officer  of  the  deck  would  like  to  see  you,  sir." 

"  Very  well."  Buck  turned  red  as  he  started  off,  and 
went  up  to  the  officer  of  the  deck.  "  I  am  very  sorry, 
sir ;  when  I  saw  my  old  shipmate  Casey,  I  forgot  all  about 
reporting  and  asking  permission  to  come  on  board." 

Buck  barely  had  time  to  get  ashore  for  dinner.  The 
bugle  blew  when  he  was  away  down  on  the  sea  wall,  but 
by  a  quarter-mile  dash  across  the  lawn  he  reached  the 
ranks  just  as  the  battalion  faced.  At  dinner  the  topic 
turned  to  the  Jamestown  and  the  cruise. 

"  Casey  said  something  about  the  Kearsarge's  coming, 
but  I  was  called  away  at  that  moment,"  remarked  Buck, 
and  the  rumor  ran  everywhere  that  the  Jamestown  and 
Kearsarge  were  both  going  on  the  cruise. 

Monday  morning,  when  the  cadets  went  out  in  the 
bay  on  the  Wyoming  for  seamanship  drill,  the  Kearsarge 
appeared  in  the  offing,  under  her  own  steam,  and  passed 
into  the  harbor. 

"  She's  very  much  like  the  Wyoming,"  the  remarks 
ran. 

"  She's  the  vessel  that  sank  the  Alabama"  mused 
Buck,  as  he  watched  her  a  long  time. 

The  order  that  was  published  the  next  day,  giving 
the  detail  for  the  cruise,  assigned  the  first  classmen  to 


252  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

the  Kearsarge,  and  the  third  and  fourth  classmen  to  the 
Jamestown. 

Preble  noticed  that  Buck  was  very  thoughtful  during 
the  rest  of  the  day.  As  they  were  about  to  turn  in,  Buck 
remarked  abruptly: 

"  I'd  like  to  go  on  the  Kearsarge" 

"  So  would  I,"  said  Preble. 

"  Let's  try  to  get  ordered  to  her." 

"  It's  no  use." 

After  breakfast  formation  next  morning,  Buck  ap- 
plied to  the  Commandant,  then  to  the  Superintendent,  and 
then,  with  the  permission  of  the  Superintendent,  wired  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  To  the  surprise  of  all,  in- 
structions were  wired  back  detailing  Buck  and  Preble  to 
the  Kearsarge. 

When  Casey  heard  of  this  the  next  day  he  was  greatly 
disturbed,  and  applied  to  the  captain  of  the  Jamestown 
to  be  transferred  to  the  Kearsarge. 

"  Casey,  the  thing  is  impossible ;  the  detail  is  all  made 
up — I  can't  spare  you.  Besides,  you  have  often  said  you 
hate  these  mongrel  steam  and  sailing  vessels." 

"  I  have  never  asked  many  favors  in  my  day,  Captain, 
but  I  must  ask  this  one." 

At  that  juncture  Buck  came  on  board,  half  out  of 
breath. 

"  Casey,  you  must  get  transferred.  I  have  applied 
to  the  Navy  Department  for  permission.  Would  John 
Anderson  and  Ol  Olsen  like  to  come  ?  " 

The  Captain  glared  at  Buck. 

"  You  would  demoralize  my  crew.  I'll  not  approve 
the  request." 

All  day  the  wires  were  hot ;  and  at  last  an  order  came 
direct  from  the  Navy  Department  to  transfer  Buck, 
Preble,  Casey,  Anderson,  and  Olsen  to  the  Kearsarge. 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA        253 

Everybody  was  surprised. 

"If  an  angel  had  told  me  it  was  possible,  I  .'would 
not  have  believed  him,"  remarked  Preble,  when  it  was 
all  settled.  "  The  Secretary  probably  remembered  about 
you  and  Casey  at  Portsmouth." 

When  Casey,  Anderson,  and  Olsen  went  aboard  the 
Kearsarge  next  morning,  Kelly  was  at  the  gangway,  his 
face  beaming  with  delight,  but  the  old  merry  twinkle  was 
in  his  eye. 

"  Come  here,  men  of  the  Kearsarge — look  at  these  re- 
cruits !  Just  one  week  ago  to-day,  at  Norfolk,  Tim  Casey 
— there  he  is,  look  at  him — in  this  very  spot  swore  that 
he  wouldn't  be  found  dead  on  any  such  mongrel  tub  as 
this ;  and  here  he  is,  begging  us  to  take  him  in." 

Casey  had  on  a  broad  grin. 

"  It's  not  for  your  tub  of  a  ship — I've  got  so  little 
faith  in  it  that  I  wouldn't  trust  any  friend  of  mine  on 
board  alone.  I've  only  come  to  be  on  hand  to  comfort 
my  friend,  Mr.  Jones,  when  this  derelict  wears  the  pa- 
tience out  of  him,  for  he's  a  seaman,  a  true  seaman,  every 
inch  of  him." 

The  Kearsarge  lost  little  time  after  graduation.  By 
noon  Saturday  she  was  under  way,  and  about  sundown 
Sunday  she  passed  out  of  the  Capes  and  headed  about 
south-southeast,  bound  for  the  windward  passage,  under 
orders  to  put  in  at  Kingston,  Jamaica,  where  further 
orders  would  be  waiting. 

In  a  few  days,  Buck  knew  every  nook  and  corner  of 
the  vessel,  and  soon  became  familiar  with  the  machinery, 
the  main  engines  and  auxiliary  engines,  the  main  boilers 
and  donkey  boilers. 

The  first  morning  out  at  sea,  the  chief  engineer  found 
Buck  in  the  after  fire  room,  stripped  to  the  waist,  shovel- 
ing coal  and  slicing  the  fires  like  an  experienced  stoker. 


254  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

He  made  a  special  request  to  the  Captain  for  assignment 
to  the  big  eleven-inch  pivot  gun,  forward,  "  For,"  he  re- 
marked, "  Casey  tells  me  that  this  gun  sank  the  Ala- 
bama" 

The  second  day  out,  a  brisk  breeze  sprang  up  from 
the  northeast,  and  blew  like  a  trade  wind.  All  plain  sail 
was  set,  the  fires  were  banked,  and  for  five  days  they  ran 
with  the  wind  a  little  abaft  the  port  beam,  averaging  over 
eight  knots  an  hour  under  sail  alone. 

Buck  was  keen  about  the  navigation,  and  began  keep- 
ing a  navigation  notebook  like  the  first  classmen.  In  his 
enthusiasm  he  would  take  sights  of  the  planets  and  fixed 
stars,  and  of  Polaris,  the  ISforth  Star,  in  addition  to  the 
sight  of  the  sun,  morning,  noon,  and  afternoon.  Soon  he 
began  comparing  the  positions  he  found  with  those  of  the 
navigator  and  the  first  classmen,  and  formed  ideas  of  his 
own  as  to  the  amount  of  current  experienced  each  day. 
He  was  constantly  going  to  the  chart  house,  and  followed 
every  position  plotted  on  the  chart.  He  had  long  talks 
with  Casey  during  the  night  watches,  and  Casey  showed 
him  the  constellations  of  the  Southern  skies.  The  sixth 
night  out  he  declined  to  go  below  at  the  end  of  his  mid- 
watch. 

"  I'm  going  to  stay  up  and  discover  America  at  day- 
break," he  remarked. 

He  climbed  up  to  the  foretop  with  a  pair  of  glasses, 
and  just  as  the  sun  broke  over  the  horizon  he  called  out : 

"  Land  on  the  port  bow !  San  Salvador !  !  San  Sal- 
vador! !" 

Columbus  scarcely  watched  this  outpost  of  the  un- 
known world  with  more  eagerness  than  Buck  did  as  the 
Kearsarge  left  Cat  Island  to  the  westward,  and  San  Sal- 
vador (or  Watlings  Island)  to  the  eastward,,  and  passed 
down  through  Crooked  Island  passage.  Toward  noon  the 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA        255 

breeze  began  to  die  down,  and  in  the  afternoon  watch  it 
fell  to  a  dead  calm,  though  they  were  now  in  the  region 
of  the  northeast  trade  winds.  When  the  wind  failed  to 
rise  in  the  dogwatches,  the  Captain  ordered  the  fires  spread 
in  the  two  after  boilers,  and  proceeded  under  steam.  The 
day  closed  in  glory,  in  such  a  sunset  as  Buck  had  never 
seen — wonderful  colors — new  and  strange  shades  of  green 
and  blue  appearing  in  strata  and  in  great  spokes  diverging 
from  the  sun.  A  weird  brightness  seemed  to  cover  the 
heavens  above  and  the  sea  around  them. 

"  Isn't  it  glorious,  Casey  ?  "  said  Buck  in  delight. 

Casey  shook  his  head.  "  I'm  afraid  it  is  a  breeder, 
Mr.  Jones.  There's  trouble  somewhere." 

They  sighted  Cape  Maysi,  at  the  east  end  of  Cuba, 
about  breakfast  time  next  morning,  then  headed  due 
south,  then  to  the  westward  of  south,  through  the  wind- 
ward passage.  Buck  wished  that  they  might  turn  out  of 
the  course  to  look  in  at  Santiago,  or  even  at  Guantanamo, 
or  else  at  Port  au  Prince,  but  the  ship  held  her  course 
straight  across  for  Jamaica  and  entered  Kingston  harbor 
about  ten  o'clock  next  morning. 

Buck  and  Preble  were  off  watch  and  applied  for  per- 
mission to  go  ashore,  which  the  executive  officer  readily 
granted.  They  went  along  the  docks,  where  negroes  were 
loading  bananas,  then  through  the  streets  of  Kingston, 
looking  at  everything,  interested  in  everything — the 
motley  population,  the  houses,  but  especially  the  palms  and 
tropical  plants.  They  took  lunch  and  went  out  to  the 
park  and  back  toward  the  hills.  Buck  couldn't  resist  the 
silent  challenge  of  a  tall  cocoanut  palm  near  the  road,  but 
shinned  up  it  to  the  very  tufted  top,  and  threw  down  some 
green  cocoanuts. 

"  You've  ruined  your  new  duck  trousers,  and  nearly 
ruined  a  new  blouse,"  said  Preble,  as  Buck  came  down. 


256  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  can't  help  it.  I  had  to  climb  that  tree.  I  never 
saw  such  hard  trees  to  climb  as  these  cocoanuts — not  a 
limb  or  even  a  knot  for  forty  feet."  And  he  and  Preble 
cut  into  the  thick  rind  and  drank  cocoanut  milk  till  they 
could  drink  no  more. 

Walking  along  the  roadside,  they  caught  glimpses  of 
the  city  and  part  of  the  bay.  The  British  flag  was  flying 
on  all  sides,  and  suddenly,  clearing  a  clump  of  trees,  they 
saw  the  stars  and  stripes  flying  from  the  peak  of  the 
Keasarge.  A  lump  came  up  into  Buck's  throat,  and  one 
came  into  Preble's,  and  a  film  of  moisture  spread  over 
their  eyes.  No  one  can  ever  know  how  much  he  loves 
his  country's  flag  until  he  has  seen  it  in  a  foreign 
land,  or  has  seen  it  when  smoke  and  thunder  are  in 
the  air. 

They  were  still  looking  at  the  flag  in  silence,  when  a 
puff  of  smoke  shot  out  from  the  bow  gun,  and  a  signal 
flag  ran  up  to  the  main  truck. 

"  One  gun  and  the  cornet — it's  the  general  recall," 
exclaimed  Preble,  and  both  were  off  at  a  trot  for  the 
wharf,  where  they  hired  a  shore  boat  and  were  soon  on 
board.  Coal  lighters  were  alongside,  and  swarms  of  ne- 
groes of  all  sizes  and  ages  were  passing  up  the  coal  in 
baskets,  the  white  of  their  blinking  eyes  making  the  only 
break  in  the  expanse  of  coal-dust  ebony  from  the  tops  of 
their  bare  heads,  where  they  carried  the  baskets,  to  the 
soles  of  their  bare  feet. 

"  We  are  under  sailing  orders,"  said  the  executive  offi- 
cer, as  Buck  and  Preble  reported  their  return. 

"  Where  are  we  going  ?  "  asked  Buck  of  a  first  class- 
man on  the  edge  of  a  group  that  was  evidently  talking 
about  the  developments. 

"  The  Consul  brought  off  telegraphic  orders  from  the 
Navy  Department  for  the  ship  to  proceed  to  Bluefields,  on 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA    257 

the  Mosquito  Coast  of  Honduras,  with  all  dispatch.  That 
means  that  we  shall  sail  as  soon  as  we  finish  coaling. 

Coaling  was  a  novel  thing  to  Buck.  It  came  near 
taking  the  romance  out  of  steam ;  in  spite  of  the  canvas 
screens  the  coal  dust  penetrated  everywhere — not  only  the 
decks,  but  the  beams,  the  sides  of  the  ship,  the  wardroom, 
the  tables,  the  furniture,  the  staterooms,  the  very  bedding 
— everything  was  begrimed ;  and  the  negroes,  with  their 
monotone  chants  and  chatter,  no  longer  seemed  human 
beings.  Buck  went  forward  to  find  Casey,  and  the  two 
went  as  far  out  on  the  bowsprit  as  possible. 

"  I  told  you,  Mr.  Jones,  that  a  vessel  with  steam  is  no 
place  for  a  seaman.  I  don't  feel  easy  while  you  are  on 
this  old  tub.  I've  been  feeling  queer  for  two  days.  A 
hurricane  is  running  out  in  the  Windward  Islands.  The 
captain  thinks  he  can  run  down  and  get  below  it  before 
it  curves  to  the  northward;  but  he  can't  do't.  It  must 
have  passed  into  the  Caribbean  last  night,  and  we  are  sure 
to  run  head  into  it.  Not  that  I  mind  a  hurricane,  Mr. 
Jones — if  we  were  in  a  sailing  ship  I'd  laugh  at  the  hur- 
ricane, and  it  would  be  good  sport  for  a  seaman  like  you ; 
but  somehow,  in  this  black  mongrel  I've  got  a  presenti- 
ment. I  want  you  to  be  very  careful,  Mr.  Jones — take 
no  chances  anywhere." 

The  superstition  of  the  old  sailor  was  contagious. 
Buck  began  to  feel  queer  himself,  though  he  laughed  out 
loud  at  the  idea.  He  noticed  clouds  out  to  the  southeast, 
moving  in  confusion  in  different  directions.  The  queer 
look  in  the  heavens  of  the  day  before  came  back,  though 
the  sun  disappeared  about  three  o'clock  and  did  not  come 
out  again.  The  breeze  had  sprung  up  from  the  northeast 
and  was  blowing  fresh  at  4.30,  when  the  coaling  was  com- 
pleted. The  ship  got  under  way  and  stood  out  under  top- 
sails to  the  southeast,  as  both  watches  washed  down  the 


258  BUCK   JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

decks,  fore  and  aft.  Buck  came  on  duty  as  gentleman  of 
the  watch  in  the  evening  watch.  As  he  read  the  barometer 
he  was  more  astonished  each  hour  to  find  it  so  unsteady. 
He  called  Casey  aft  to  look  at  it. 

"  Just  as  I  told  you,  Mr.  Jones.  We  are  going  straight 
into  it.  The  wind  has  hauled  to  the  eastward.  The  cen- 
ter is  sweeping  westward.  We'll  be  in  it  before  this  time 
to-morrow.  The  Cap'n's  got  his  orders.  He  believes  in 
steam,  and  thinks  he  can  run  right  over  it."  And  Casey 
shook  his  head. 

The  ship  was  running  eleven  or  twelve  knots,  with  the 
wind  just  abaft  the  port  beam.  Buck  went  to  the  chart 
house  and  found  the  navigator  worried  about  his  depar- 
ture. The  thick  weather  had  settled  down  quickly  and  cut 
off  Kingston  light  soon  after  dark.  Buck  noticed  that  the 
course  was  laid  nearly  south,  till  clear  of  Portland  Rock, 
and  then  about  southwest  by  south  to  clear  Roncador  reef 
about  twenty  miles,  passing  to  the  south.  The  wind  and 
sea  continued  to  rise,  and  about  four  bells  the  watch  reefed 
the  topsails  and  took  in  the  mainsail.  Just  before  the 
watch  was  called  the  topsails  were  reefed  again.  Later, 
when  the  course  was  changed  to  the  westward,  and  the 
wind  and  sea  were  quartering,  the  sails  steadied  the  ship 
considerably,  in  spite  of  the  heavy  sea,  and  she  fairly  flew 
as  she  scudded  along  the  wave  crests,  the  patent  log  at 
times  showing  fourteen  knots,  and  even  more.  All  night 
she  carried  this  sail,  and  all  forenoon. 

"  It's  easier  riding  this  way  than  hove  to,"  remarked 
the  first  lieutenant  to  the  Captain. 

"  We  are  making  a  record  run,  too,"  answered  the  Cap- 
tain. "  The  center  has  curved  to  the  northward."  He 
swept  his  finger  out  to  the  eastward,  showing  the  way  the 
storm  center  was  running.  "  We'll  keep  her  battened 
down  and  keep  the  fires  banked,  and  if  we  can  hold  on 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA    259 

eight  hours  longer  we'll  pass  across  a  day  ahead  of  time 
without  expending  a  pound  of  coal." 

Buck  greatly  enjoyed  the  forenoon  watch.  On  his 
plebe  cruise  he  had  had  some  stiff  sailing,  but  it  was  noth- 
ing in  comparison  to  this — a  full-rig  ship  running  before 
a  hurricane  with  topsails  and  foresail  set.  The  fires  were 
still  banked  and  the  propeller  was  uncoupled.  This  made 
a  heavy  drag  that  helped  to  keep  the  ship  on  her  course, 
but  naturally  cut  down  the  speed.  Nevertheless,  the  pat- 
ent log  constantly  showed  over  fifteen  knots.  This  tre- 
mendous sailing  speed,  with  the  roar  of  the  seas  and  of 
the  wind,  fairly  intoxicated  Buck. 

"  It's  great,"  Casey,  great !  the  greatest  thing  I  ever 
saw!" 

Casey  smiled.  Buck  had  only  been  to  sea  once  before, 
but  he  talked  like  an  old  salt. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Jones,  she  runs  like  a  scared  dog  before 
the  wind  and  sea.  But  any  old  tub  can  do  that.  Nothing 
good  will  come  out  of  it,"  he  added  after  a  pause. 

Buck  saw  that  Casey  could  not  or  would  not  get  over 
his  prejudice,  and  would  not  throw  off  his  gloomy  pre- 
sentiment. Whether  the  ship  deserved  much  credit  or  not, 
Buck  realized  that  it  was  wonderful  sailing.  She  seemed 
to  travel  on  the  great  wave  crests  as  on  mighty  rollers.  A 
big  wave  coming  under  the  quarter  would  literally  lift  the 
ship  on  its  shoulders  and  run  away  with  it,  finally  passing 
out  from  under  the  bow  only  to  drop  it  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  next  big  wave. 

The  rain  had  poured  in  torrents  during  the  latter  part 
of  the  night,  and  the  day  came  in  overcast  with  heavy 
clouds  driving  low  overhead.  The  half-masked  sun  had 
broken  partly  forth  for  a  short  interval  about  seven  bells, 
permitting  a  fairly  good  time  sight  for  longitude,  though 
the  horizon  was  indistinct.  Buck  was  the  only  one  besides 


260  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

the  navigator  who  was  lucky  enough  to  get  a  sight,  and  he 
found  that  his  result  corresponded  well  with  that  the  navi- 
gator plotted  on  the  chart.  The  navigator  remarked  that 
he  was  not  worried  about  the  longitude,  but  that  the  main 
thing  was  to  get  a  good  noon  sight  for  latitude.  Accord- 
ingly, the  navigator,  assistant  navigator,  and  most  of  the 
first  classmen  were  out  on  deck  before  seven  bells,  sextants 
in  hand,  watching  for  a  glimpse  of  the  sun.  Buck  got 
Preble  to  mark  time.  The  sun  was  very  unaccommodat- 
ing, allowing  only  very  imperfect  sights,  and  the  navigator 
finally  gave  it  up,  and  by  12.30  all  had  gone  below  but 
Buck  and  Preble.  As  had  once  happened  on  his  plebe 
cruise,  by  lingering  Buck  suddenly  caught  a  good  sight, 
and  the  sun  was  not  too  far  from  the  meridian.  He  was 
a  little  slow  in  working  it  out,  and  when  he  went  to  the 
chart  house  the  noon  position  had  been  plotted  and  the 
navigator  had  gone  to  lunch.  The  position  plotted  was 
forty  miles  north  of  the  position  he  had  found. 

"  Something  must  be  wrong,"  he  concluded,  and  he 
went  over  his  work  again,  with  the  same  result.  Finally 
he  went  in  to  see  the  navigator. 

"  You  must  be  out,  Mr.  Jones.  I  did  not  get  very 
reliable  noon  sights,  but  the  position  came  out  as  I  ex- 
pected, showing  a  northerly  current  of  about  twenty  miles. 
By  your  position  there  would  have  been  a  southerly  cur- 
rent of  twenty  miles.  The  sailing  directions  and  chart 
show  a  strong  northerly  current." 

Buck  went  away  still  unsatisfied.  He  went  over  his 
work  again,  and  finally  concluded  it  was  right.  He  could 
scarcely  enjoy  the  wonderful  sailing  during  the  afternoon, 
though  the  force  of  the  hurricane  rose  yet  higher.  The 
wind  and  sea  drew  around  to  direct  astern.  The  decks 
were  constantly  swept  with  spray  and  foam,  but  the  stern 
always  climbed  the  curling  crests.  They  took  a  close  reef 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE   SEA        261 

in  the  mizzen  and  main  topsails,  but  still  carried  the  fore- 
sail and  single-reefed  fore-topsail.  But  for  the  drag  of 
the  propeller,  however,  it  would  have  been  necessary  to 
heave  to.  Casey,  himself,  with  more  than  fifty  years  on 
the  sea,  had  never  seen  a  ship  carry  as  much  sail  in  so 
heavy  a  wind  and  sea.  Buck  drew  out  this  reluctant  con- 
fession when  he  announced  forward  that  the  patent  log 
showed  seventeen  knots  for  the  last  hour.  Casey  shook 
his  head. 

"  I  don't  like  it,  Mr.  Jones.  You  can't  tell  anything 
about  this  kind  of  a  ship." 

It  did  not  add  to  Casey's  comfort  of  mind  when  Buck 
later  told  him  that  the  navigator  was  forty  miles  out  in 
his  latitude. 

"  I  know  it,  Casey.  I  never  was  more  sure  of  any- 
thing in  my  life.  If  I  can  catch  a  Polaris  sight,  to  con- 
firm it,  I'll  report  the  matter  to  the  Captain." 

Casey  said  nothing.  As  the  afternoon  wore  on,  the 
wind  and  sea  showed  signs  of  coming  around  on  the  port 
quarter.  At  times  the  rain  came  down  as  if  poured  from 
the  clouds.  The  seamen  forward  were  enjoying  the  royal 
way  in  which  the  old  ship  took  the  great  seas. 

"  She  hitches  .up  to  each  one  in  turn,"  remarked  An- 
derson, "  and  rides  him  for  a  mile." 

"  How's  that  for  you,  Casey  ? "  said  Kelly,  as  the 
stern  climbed  a  monarch  wave  and  held  its  position. 
"  One  of  the  ships  of  your  t  Old  Navy '  would  have  been 
pooped." 

"  Yes,  a  propeller  makes  a  good  sea  anchor  over  the 
stern,  but  that's  all  it  is  good  for.  In  the  old  navy  we  are 
not  such  fools.  We'd  have  been  hove  to  the  last  fifteen 
hours,  snug  and  safe  as  a  ferryboat.  As  it  is,  any  of  the 
young  gentlemen  might  be  washed  overboard  at  any  time." 
Then  Casey  added :  "  The  navigator  doesn't  know  our  lati- 


262  BUCK   JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

tude  within  forty  miles.  We've  been  going  like  a  race- 
horse. We  must  have  passed  Serrana  Bank  by  this  time, 
and  can't  be  far  from  Roncador.  You  can't  see  Roncador 
in  clear  weather  more  than  four  or  five  miles;  in  thick 
weather  you  can't  see  it  at  all.  It's  nothing  but  a  few  low 
sand  banks  on  a  coral  reef.  I've  been  out  here  before." 

"  Oh,  it's  all  right,  Casey ;  you've  been  in  the  dumps 
for  two  days,  imagining  that  something  would  happen  to 
Mr.  Jones.  He  will  take  care  of  himself." 

At  that  moment  Buck  came  up  with  a  sextant  in  his 
hand.  He  was  bareheaded  and  barefooted,  with  an  old 
pair  of  trousers  belted  about  the  waist.  Everybody 
else,  officers  and  seamen,  were  in  rain  clothes,  sou'westers 
and  rubber  boots,  protection  against  the  spray  and  the 
intermittent  rain.  Buck  had  on  only  a  white-flannel  shirt, 
and  didn't  care  how  wet  it  became. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  the  sextant,  Mr. 
Jones  ?  "  asked  Kelly. 

"  I'm  going  to  try  to  get  a  sight  of  the  North  Star." 

Murphy  laughed,  and  all  the  others  joined  in  except 
Casey. 

"  It'll  be  black  as  ink  in  a  half  hour.  A  cannon  ball 
couldn't  get  through  those  clouds,  much  less  the  starlight." 

"  I'm  going  to  be  ready  and  on  the  lookout,  all  the 
same ;  I  think  the  navigator  is  out  in  his  latitude." 

Kelly  looked  at  Casey. 

"  Mr.  Jones  is  your  authority,  Casey,  for  saying  the 
navigator  is  forty  miles  off."  And  Kelly  smiled.  Buck 
didn't  mind  this  chaff  of  Kelly's,  nor  did  Casey;  but 
they  both  felt  uneasy  about  the  safety  of  the  ship.  Soon 
Buck  found  Preble,  and  the  two  went  up  on  the  poop  to 
wait  for  any  accidental  sight  of  the  North  Star.  Casey 
came  up  and  tied  a  line  around  the  waist  of  each  of  them. 
He  had  scarcely  gone  down  when  a  half  sea  passed  over 


BUCK   LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE   SEA        263 

the  poop  and  swept  them  off  their  feet,  and  would  have 
swept  them  overboard  but  for  the  lines.  But  Buck  held 
on  to  his  sextant  and  Preble  to  his  bull's  eye  lantern,  and 
soon  they  were  ready  again. 

"  Casey  has  an  instinct  whenever  I'm  in  danger,"  re- 
marked Buck,  as  he  looked  through  his  sextant  out  toward 
the  north.  "  Quick,  Preble,  quick !  Stand  by — mark !  " 
For  an  instant  only  the  North  Star  swept  across  a  small 
patch  of  thin  cloud,  and  at  that  instant  a  great  wave  broke 
on  the  horizon,  giving  a  line  of  white. 

"  Did  you  get  it,  Buck  ?  " 

"  Yes — fine !     Did  you  mark  all  right  ?  " 

"  Yes,  to  a  half  second." 

Buck  ran  by  and  got  the  reading  of  the  patent  log, 
and  was  off  to  the  chart  house.  In  a  few  minutes  he  came 
running  out  and  dashed  for  the  cabin.  He  rushed  by 
the  orderly  without  waiting  to  be  announced,  and  found 
the  Captain  and  navigator  poring  over  the  Captain's 
chart. 

"  I've  just  caught  a  Polaris  sight.  It  shows  that  the 
current  has  been  setting  south  instead  of  north." 

The  Captain  and  navigator  had  just  been  discussing 
that  very  question.  The  Captain  had  been  suggesting 
that  the  long  run  of  the  wind  and  sea  under  the  hurri- 
cane might  set  up  a  reverse  current.  At  that  instant  the 
orderly  stepped  in  and  said  that  Casey  asked  to  see  the 
Captain. 

"  Tell  him  to  step  in.  We'll  see  what  he  thinks  about 
it.  What  is  it,  Casey  ?  " 

"  I've  come,  Cap'n,  to  urge  you  to  bring  her  around 
and  heave  to  for  the  night." 

"  Do  you  know  these  waters,  Casey  ?  " 

"  I  know  them  well,  sir." 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  the  currents  ? " 


264  BUCK  JONES   AT   ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  know  they  are  as  treacherous  as  an  Indian.  When 
I  was  down  here  at  Roncador  in  '63,  on  the  Brooklyn, 
our  navigator  found  that  a  hurricane  reversed  the  cur- 
rents reported  on  the  charts  and  Sailing  Directions.  These 
are  nasty  waters,  Cap'n,  in  a  hurricane.  I  hope  you  won't 
go  any  farther." 

Neither  Casey  nor  Buck  noticed  the  pallor  that  came 
over  the  faces  of  the  Captain  and  navigator. 

"  Orderly,  tell  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  call  all  hands 
and  take  in  the  foresail  and  bring  her  to  the  wind  as  soon 
as  possible." 

There  was  no  evidence  of  anxiety  in  the  Captain's 
voice,  but  there  was  a  strange  feeling  about  his  heart. 

"  According  to  your  Polaris  sight,  Mr.  Jones,  what  is 
our  position  now  ?  " 

Buck  read  him  off  the  latitude  and  longitude  just  as 
he  heard  the  boatswain's  mate  calling  all  hands. 

"  Where  does  that  put  us  ?  " 

The  navigator  was  already  plotting  with  his  parallel 
rulers.  He  brought  the  rulers  up.  His  face  turned  ashen 
pale.  He  slid  them  back  to  the  parallel  and  brought  them 
up  again.  All  stopped  breathing. 

"  It  puts  us — "  He  stopped,  then  started  again.  "  It 
puts  us  on " 

The  sentence  was  never  finished.  There  was  a  terri- 
fying crash.  The  four  men  were  hurled  against  the  bulk- 
head. Buck  struck  head  foremost  and  was  stunned  for  a 
moment.  When  he  came  to,  Casey  had  him  in  his  arms, 
staggering  forward  with  him  in  the  dark. 

"  I'm  all  right,  Casey." 

And  Buck  slid  down.  When  his  feet  touched  the  deck 
he  found  the  deck  was  heaving  beneath  them.  The  deck 
planking  began  to  fly  up. 

"  Go  forward !  "  he  heard  Casey  calling  out  to  strag- 


BUCK   LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE   SEA        265 

glers  found  in  the  gangway,  his  voice  scarcely  audible 
above  the  terrific  din.  "  Come  on,  Mr.  Jones.  Come  on !  " 

Casey  hurried  him  forward,  his  arm  around  his  body. 
Buck's  senses  were  fast  returning.  Seeing  a  giant  wave 
coming  up  over  the  stern,  the  two  men  made  a  dash  for- 
ward. They  felt  the  timbers  cracking.  Over  his  shoul- 
ders, in  a  flash  of  lightning,  Buck  saw  the  mizzenmast  go 
by  the  board  with  a  mighty  crash.  An  instant  later  the 
mainmast  fell.  Just  after  they  passed  the  waist  skylight 
the  deck  broke  open.  They  came  upon  the  officers  and 
crew  gathered  around  the  foremast.  As  it  happened,  all 
hands  were  forward  when  she  struck. 

"  She's  breaking  up  aft,"  reported  Casey,  as  he  found 
the  Captain.  $% 

"  I've  been  expecting  it,"  he  answered  calmly. 

The  din  and  turmoil  were  deafening.  They  had  just 
clewed  up  the  foresail  when  the  ship  struck,  and  Kelly, 
acting  under  a  sailor's  instinct,  cut  away  the  fore-topsail 
sheets.  The  noise  that  followed  from  the  wild  flapping 
of  the  sails  overhead,  as  they  tore  themselves  to  shreds, 
increased  the  din  of  cracking  spars  and  creaking  timbers. 
Above  these  disrupting  sounds  came  the  terrifying  roar  of 
the  reef,  impatient  for  its  prey.  Each  man  said  to  him- 
self, "  The  end  is  at  hand,"  but  there  was  no  turmoil,  no 
confusion.  The  enlisted  men  were  farthest  forward,  the 
petty  officers  and  warrant  officers  next,  then  the  cadets, 
and  last  the  officers,  the  Captain  being  farthest  aft  toward 
the  point  from  which  death  would  advance.  The  Captain 
called  Casey  and  the  first  lieutenant  for  a  conference.  All 
the  rest  stood  waiting  for  their  decision.  At  that  moment 
a  mammoth  sea  struck  the  stern  and  crumpled  it  up  for 
fifty  or  sixty  feet,  and  a  seething,  hissing  flood  swept 
forward  with  floating  wreckage,  till  it  licked  the  feet  of 
the  refugees  as  they  huddled  together.  Buck  heard  a 
18 


BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

voice  rise  above  all  the  din — the  clear  tenor  voice  of  the 
Chaplain : 

"  My  country,  'tis  of  thee " 

Other  voices  joined — all  the  voices  joined — voices  of 
four  hundred  and  sixty  men  looking  death  straight  in  the 
face.  Buck  had  been  phlegmatic  up  to  this  point.  He  was 
now  electrified — everybody  was  electrified. 

The  whole  visage  of  death  was  transformed.  Men 
began  to  smile.  The  second  verse  followed  the  first,  then 
the  third  verse — then  the  fourth.  As  the  last  strains  died 
down,  a  great  wave  struck  a  mighty  blow  that  almost  threw 
the  men  from  their  feet.  The  stern  of  the  ship,  for  a 
hundred  feet,  broke  sheer  off,  and  crushed  the  port  side 
for  fifty  feet  farther  as  it  broke  into  great  masses  of  wreck- 
age and  ground  itself  up  on  the  reef  to  port.  The  voice 
of  the  Chaplain  again  rose  above  the  tumult : 

"  Oh,  say,  can  you  see,  by  the  dawn's  early  light " 


Buck's  blood  tingled  to  the  tips  of  his  fingers.  His 
spirit  seemed  to  rise  with  the  song  high  above  the  storm. 
A  vivid  flash  of  lightning  showed  up  the  terrible  desola- 
tion. Like  a  streak  Buck  dashed  aft.  The  water  rose. 
The  breaking  sea  swept  by.  He  struck  out,  half  swim- 
ming, half  wading,  across  the  wreckage,  climbed  the  totter- 
ing chart  house,  broke  in,  found  an  ensign,  dashed  back, 
climbed  the  forerigging,  then  out  on  the  foreyard,  and 
lashed  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  the  fore  lift.  Higher  still, 
above  the  din,  the  voices  rose: 

"  Oh,  say,  does  that  Star-spangled  Banner  yet  wave 
O'er  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave?  " 

Under  the  light  of  a  vivid  flash,  all  eyes  turned  to  the 
national  flag  fluttering  above  them  in  the  gale.  A  titanic 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA        267 

wave  struck  at  this  instant;  the  whole  rear  half  of  the 
great  ship  crashed  away,  and  a  hungry  curler  leaped 
toward  the  bow.  At  this  point  Casey  stepped  out  and 
piped : 

"  A  call  for  volunteers !  Who  will  volunteer  to  swim 
ashore  with  a  line  ?  " 

The  dim  light  of  the  lanterns  hung  about  the  fore- 
castle lit  up  the  faces  of  the  men.  For  a  moment  there 
was  a  pause,  then,  as  with  one  impulse,  the  whole  ship's 
crew,  officers  and  men,  stepped  forward. 

"  If  you  are  my  friend,  Casey,  recommend  me,"  Buck 
pleaded. 

Then  Anderson  edged  up  to  Casey  and  took  him  by 
the  arm: 

"  We  have  been  shipmates  these  many  years,  Casey. 
Let  me  have  it." 

"  Casey,  you  know  how  you  have  always  backed  my 
swimming — now  is  the  chance  to  prove  it,"  and  Olsen  took 
Casey  by  the  other  arm. 

"  See  here,  Casey,"  spoke  up  Kelly,  "  don't  forget 
me." 

Casey  could  hardly  extricate  himself  from  those  im- 
portuning him,  though  everyone  knew  that  a  swimmer 
trying  to  cross  the  reef  would  be  dashed  to  pieces.  Casey 
drew  himself  up  proudly  as  he  turned  to  the  Captain. 

"  It's  like  the  Old  Navy,  sir.  Men  who  hardly  know 
how  to  swim  have  volunteered.  The  whole  ship's  company 
has  volunteered." 

The  Captain  stepped  out. 

"  This  is  worthy  of  the  traditions  of  the  service. 
Casey,  choose  the  man  and  give  him  his  instructions." 

The  Captain's  voice  was  as  steady  as  if  on  drill.  Casey 
called : 

"  Ol  Olsen,  step  out." 


268  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

The  rest  looked  on  with  envy  as  Olsen  stepped  up  for 
instructions. 

"  Swim  to  windward  till  you  find  a  gap  in  the  reef, 
then  go  in.  There  is  a  gap  somewhere  above  here.  When 
you  get  ashore,  come  down  opposite  the  ship,  pull  in  a 
heavier  line,  then  haul  the  catamaran  across  the  reef — 
and  a  raft  we'll  have  ready." 

Olsen  stripped — a  magnificent  physical  specimen,  deep 
chested,  with  muscles  like  iron. 

"  John  Anderson  is  swifter,  but  Olsen  has  the  power," 
Casey  remarked  to  the  Captain. 

The  Captain  of  the  forecastle  brought  out  a  long  coil 
of  marline  stuff. 

"  I'm  fixing  a  slip  knot  here,"  said  Casey  to  Olsen, 
as  he  passed  a  bight  of  the  line  over  Olsen's  right  shoulder 
and  brought  the  knot  close  up  under  his  left  armpit. 
"  It's  running  like  a  mill  race.  Go  full  power  from  the 
start.  If  you  find  you  can't  make  it,  slip  the  line  and  try 
to  swim  around  to  the  lee  side  of  the  bank.  It  is  useless 
to  try  to  cross  the  reef  unless  you  find  the  gap." 

Olsen  understood  perfectly.  They  lowered  him  with 
a  whip  from  the  foreyard.  Glancing  to  see  that  the  line 
was  clear,  he  plunged  into  the  crest  of  a  big  wave  that 
carried  him  backward  for  some  distance,  but  like  a  flash 
they  saw  him  cross  the  trough  with  a  mighty  stroke,  bear- 
ing out  obliquely  from  the  ship,  and  soon  the  darkness 
swallowed  him.  Everybody  watched  the  line  as  Kelly  paid 
it  out  carefully.  For  a  time  it  bore  almost  abeam. 

"  He's  holding  his  own,"  remarked  Kelly. 

Then  it  seemed  to  draw  a  little  to  windward. 

"  He's  gaining,"  was  the  hopeful  word  that  passed 
along,  and  men  began  to  ask  Casey  questions  about  Ron- 
cador,  for  Casey  had  been  all  over  the  reef  years  before. 

He  went  ahead  directing  the  construction  of  a  raft  on 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE   SEA        269 

the  forecastle,  but  stopped  every  few  minutes  to  go  over 
and  look  at  the  line. 

"  Still  gaining  a  little,  I  think,"  said  Kelly. 

Casey  followed  the  line  out  into  the  darkness. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,  Kelly."  A  pause  followed.  "  He's 
barely  holding  his  own." 

A  gloom  spread  over  the  company.  A  great  wave 
struck,  and  the  big  pivot  gun  went  crashing  through  the 
bottom.  Casey  crossed  over. 

"  He's  losing,  Captain.  The  sea  is  too  much.  He'll 
have  to  slip." 

Soon  the  line  slackened.  Kelly  pulled  gently,  then 
began  to  haul  in  rapidly. 

"  He  has  slipped,  sir." 

Buck  had  watched  every  movement  of  Olsen's,  had  fol- 
lowed the  line  at  every  instant.  When  it  was  all  in  he 
went  over  to  where  Casey  and  the  Captain  were  in  deep 
conference. 

"  It's  the  sea,  sir,"  Casey  was  saying.  "  No  human 
power  can  withstand  these  curlers." 

"  Do  you  think  the  gale  will  moderate  soon  ?  " 

Casey  shook  his  head. 

"  Do  you  think  we  can  hold  on  here  for  long  ?  " 

"  The  bow  ran  up  high  and  tight,  sir,  but  the  seas  are 
eating  the  wreck  up  bite  by  bite." 

As  Casey  finished  speaking,  a  great  wave  struck  like 
a  thousand  battering  rams;  the  deck  under  their  feet 
buckled,  and  a  tremendous  crash  followed. 

"  The  flfter  boilers  have  fallen  in,  sir.  They'll  grind 
like  a  millstone." 

The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  in  silence. 

"  Captain,"  spoke  up  Buck,  between  his  set  teeth, 
"  I'd  like  to  try." 

The  Captain  looked  at  Casey. 


270  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

"  We  might  try  again,  sir.     There  is  no  other  way." 

Casey  spoke  with  indifference : 

"  But  it  is  not  Mr.  Jones's  turn  yet." 

Then  he  turned  to  the  group. 

"  Anderson,  do  you  still  volunteer  ?  " 

Anderson  knew  that  Olsen  was  a  stronger  swimmer, 
but  he  stepped  out. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  get  ready." 

Buck  watched  like  a  hawk  every  movement  of  Ander- 
son's— how  he  entered  the  water,  how  he  took  the  curlers. 
For  several  minutes  Anderson  gained  considerable  dis- 
tance. Hope  again  began  to  revive;  but  it  was  one  of 
those  semislack  intervals  in  the  sea  way ;  when  the  monster 
waves  came  back  to  the  charge,  Anderson  began  to  lose 
ground.  His  great  speed  was  of  no  avail;  the  combers 
hurled  him  back  like  an  infant.  Slowly  he  dropped  back. 
Kelly  soon  tested  the  line. 

"  He's  slipped,  sir." 

Despair  spread  over  all.  The  sea  seemed  to  roar  louder 
in  its  savage  exultation.  Four  great  curlers  pounded  in 
succession.  The  forward  boilers  fell,  and  the  great  cylin- 
ders began  to  roll  on  each  other  and  higher  up  the  reef, 
and  to  grind  the  creaking  timbers  to  shreds.  Everybody 
realized  that  it  was  but  a  question  of  a  few  hours  at  most 
when  the  last  plank  would  go. 

"  Captain,  it's  my  turn  now,"  said  Buck  between  his 
teeth. 

"  Not  yet,  Mr.  Jones,"  replied  Casey.  "  The  next 
turn  is  yours.  This  one  is  mine."  Casey  spoke  slowly. 
There  was  infinite  firmness  and  infinite  tenderness  in 
his  voice.  A  smile  spread  over  his  grizzled  face  as  he 
made  his  preparations.  Many  hearts  felt  heavy  as  they 
watched  him. 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA        271 

"  Get  your  line  clear,  Kelly ;  I'm  going  off  of  the 
foreyard." 

Buck  stood  close,  and  felt  a  leaden  weight  on  his  chest. 
Casey  looked  at  him  long  and  tenderly.  Buck  dared  not 
speak,  and  he  ground  his  teeth  and  lips  together.  There 
was  no  word  of  farewell.  At  the  rigging,  Casey  held 
Buck's  hand  in  a  long  clasp,  then  turned  and  climbed 
aloft  and  went  out  to  the  end  of  the  fore-yardarm. 

"  It's  just  the  way  he  used  to  go  in  swimming,"  said 
Kelly,  and  his  voice  grew  husky.  Kelly  was  a  brave, 
strong  man,  ready  to  die  himself  the  next  minute ;  but  the 
tears  came  to  his  eyes.  Others  turned  away.  The  Cap- 
tain wiped  his  cheek.  Buck  stood  rigid. 

Casey  stood  up  on  the  yardarm,  facing  the  sea,  steady- 
ing himself  with  his  right  hand  on  the  lift,  while  his  left 
hand  kept  the  line  clear.  In  the  dim  light  they  saw  him 
calmly  wait  his  chance.  As  a  great  wave  approached,  they 
saw  his  white  form  leap  far  out,  straight  over  the  crest, 
and  a  flash  of  lightning  later  showed  his  white  head  in 
the  trough  beyond.  He  had  made  a  half  wave  length  on 
the  dive.  The  line  paid  out  rapidly. 

"  He's  giving  his  great  giant  stroke,"  remarked  Kelly 
with  admiration. 

Faster  and  faster  the  line  paid  out,  straight  to  wind- 
ward. 

"  It's  great,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  Great,"  others  repeated ;  and  hopes  began  to  revive. 
For  fully  a  quarter  of  a  mile  the  line  must  have  paid  out 
steadily.  Then  it  began  to  slacken. 

"  If  he  were  only  thirty  years  younger,"  said  Kelly. 

Then  it  began  to  go  by  spurts — then  it  stopped — then 
it  slackened. 

" Has  he  slipped,  Kelly?" 

"  No,  he's  working  still — but  he's  losing." 


272  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  didn't  wait  for  the  rest.  In  a  stolid,  deliberate 
manner,  he  got  out  a  tarpaulin  and  cut  off  some  wide 
strips,  took  off  his  clothes  and  wrapped  the  strips  around 
his  abdomen,  to  keep  it  warm.  By  the  time  the  end  of  the 
line  was  in,  Buck  reported  to  the  Captain  that  he  was 
ready.  A  half  dozen  men  stepped  up  and  protested,  and 
asked  to  take  Buck's  place. 

"  He's  too  young,  Captain." 

"  But  Casey  chose  him  next."  And  the  Captain  re- 
mained firm. 

When  Kelly  secured  the  line  under  Buck's  arm,  the 
men  standing  near  noticed  that  Buck  pulled  the  end 
through  its  own  part  to  join  it  tight. 

"  He  doesn't  intend  to  slip,"  they  whispered. 

Buck  waited  till  a  pair  of  great  waves  passed,  then, 
accompanied  by  two  men  with  lanterns,  he  ran  aft  along 
the  wreckage,  almost  to  where  the  boiler  cylinders  were 
steadily  grinding  up  the  part  that  remained.  He  ran  the 
risk  of  injury,  but  he  gained  fully  thirty  feet  to  wind- 
ward ere  he  climbed  up,  saw  that  his  line  was  clear,  and 
dived  into  the  side  of  a  curler.  He  came  up  in  the  trough 
and  made  a  quick  gain  with  an  overhand  stroke,  then 
began  to  climb  the  side  of  the  next  big  wave,  when  it 
reared  and  curled  and  dashed  him  back  with  terrible  vio- 
lence. Buck  had  never  conceived  that  water  could  engen- 
der such  force.  The  men  paying  out  the  line  were  aston- 
ished and  elated  at  the  remarkable  gain,  when  Buck's 
strategy  made  almost  as  much  at  the  start  as  the  others 
had  made  altogether.  Then  the  line  slackened.  Kelly 
shook  his  head. 

"  A  brave  lad.  A  brave  lad,"  the  men  said  as  they 
turned  away. 

The  line  started  out  again,  only  to  slacken  back. 

"  It's  no  use,"  sighed  Kelly,  with  a  groan. 


BUCK  LEARNS  THE  TERROR   OF  THE   SEA        273 

The  line  started  out  again. 

"  Has  he  slipped  ? "  asked  the  Captain,  coming  over. 

"  Xo,  sir.  He's  not  going  to  slip.  I  saw  him  jam  the 
knot.  He's  going  to  fight  till  he  drowns." 

The  line  slacked  again,  then  started  out  again,  then 
slacked,  then  started  out  a  little  more.  There  seemed 
to  be  some  regularity  about  it.  Kelly  called  the  Captain 
over. 

"  Watch  the  line,  Captain." 

They  watched  it  closely.  An  interval  of  slackness, 
then  a  little  paying  out;  another  interval,  then  a  little 
more  paying  out. 

"  He's  worked  out  some  kind  of  method,  sure.  The 
question  is,  how  long  can  he  keep  it  up  ?  At  this  rate  it 
will  take  hours  to  make  a  half  mile." 

When  Buck  recovered  from  the  shock  of  the  first  curler, 
he  struck  out  manfully  across  the  trough  that  followed, 
and  up  the  side  of  the  next  wave,  when  it,  likewise,  curled 
and  hurled  him  back  farther  than  before. 

When  he  was  about  half  way  up  the  side  of  the  next 
wave,  he  dived  through  and  came  out  in  the  trough  be- 
yond, the  line  showing  that  in  the  dive  he  held  his  own. 
Across  the  trough  he  struck  out  overhand  for  a  substantial 
gain,  then  dived  into  the  next.  It  seemed  he  would  never 
come  out  of  this  one.  When  he  finally  emerged  he  found 
it  was  a  double  wave — a  wave  on  a  wave.  He  opened  his 
mouth  for  a  gasp  of  breath,  only  to  be  strangled  by  the 
breaking  crest  of  the  second  wave,  which  caught  him  and 
hurled  him  back. 

He  finally  got  his  breathing  equilibrium,  and  dashed 
across  the  trough  and  dived.  This  time  he  kept  his  eyes 
open,  and  by  the  white  streak  could  tell  where  the  crest 
was.  It  was  a  long  dive,  but  he  held  out  till  he  again 
emerged  near  the  trough,  and  made  a  dash,  and  dived 


274  BUCK   JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

again.  The  efforts  were  terrific,  and  the  diving  became 
torture  at  times ;  but  he  got  it  down  to  a  system,  sizing  up 
each  wave  as  he  began  to  mount  its  side.  He  learned  to 
gauge  the  moment,  in  each  case,  when  it  was  best  to  dive 
and  the  moment  when  it  was  best  to  emerge.  Several 
times  he  was  strangled,  but  each  time  he  regained  his 
equilibrium  and  went  ahead  with  renewed  effort.  Slowly 
and  steadily  he  forged  his  way. 

It  must  have  been  about  one  o'clock  in  the  morning 
when  he  started ;  day  was  now  breaking,  with  the  hurri- 
cane still  at  its  highest.  He  had  never  looked  back  once ; 
but  after  full  day,  wondering  whether  the  ship  was  there 
yet,  he  turned  at  an  opportune  moment  and  looked. 
There  was  the  ship  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  away, 
but  only  a  small  part  left  now.  The  foremast  had  fallen 
and  all  the  men  were  crowded  together  on  the  topgallant 
forecastle,  which  was  all  that  remained.  He  saw  them 
waving.  They  were  evidently  watching  him  with  glasses, 
and  saw  him  when  he  looked  back.  As  he  turned  and 
dived  he  thought  he  heard  a  hurrah  above  the  roar  of  the 
storm  and  the  reef. 

~No  gap  yet;  and  on  he  struggled.  Could  Casey  have 
been  mistaken  ? 

His  limbs  had  gradually  become  numb,  though  not  so 
rapidly  as  in  the  cold  water  at  Portsmouth;  but  worse 
than  the  numbness  was  the  steady  exhaustion.  In  that 
tremendous  sea  he  had  to  go  all  the  time  at  full  strength. 

"  I'll  have  to  rest,"  he  finally  concluded,  and  turned 
on  his  back  for  a  short  respite.  The  first  curler  that  came 
caught  him  up,  turned  him  sidewise,  wound  him  in  the 
line,  and  dropped  him,  strangling,  twenty  feet  back. 

He  struck  a  steady  pace  again.  "  This  is  my  third 
wind,"  he  pondered  to  himself.  "  I'll  keep  it  up  till  the 
end."  He  knew  that  his  strength  was  slowly  ebbing,  but 


BUCK   LEARNS  THE  TERROR  OF  THE  SEA        275 

he  felt  a  strange,  deep  satisfaction  in  his  unfaltering  re- 
solve never  to  give  up. 

It  must  have  been  eight  o'clock  at  least  when,  still 
without  any  visible  evidence  of  a  gap  in  the  reef,  he 
thought  he  detected  an  interruption  in  the  sound  under 
water.  In  the  constant  diving  he  came  to  distinguish, 
when  under  water,  between  the  roar  of  the  sea  and  the 
roar  of  the  reef.  The  next  dive,  he  listened  carefully  and 
was  sure  there  was  a  break  in  the  continuity  of  the  reef 
roar.  It  grew  more  perceptible.  He  changed  his  course  a 
little  inshore.  There  was  no  mistake. 

The  gap — the  gap !  The  joy  came  like  a  shock,  and  a 
curler  strangled  him.  He  had  to  dive  more  frequently  as 
he  came  closer.  Soon  he  saw  above  water  the  limits  of  the 
gap.  Nearer  the  reef  line  he  drew.  Then,  when  abreast 
the  center  of  the  gap,  he  turned  square,  and  struck  out  for 
the  breach.  The  hissing  and  roaring  were  terrifying  as  he 
reached  the  line  of  the  reef  edge,  and  a  great  sense  of 
relief  came  when  he  passed  in  unobstructed.  With  his  ter- 
rible exhaustion,  a  relaxation  followed,  and  before  he 
realized  the  new  danger  of  the  surf,  he  was  hurled  in  a 
lump,  end  over  end,  on  the  beach.  Half  unconscious,  he 
felt  a  heavy  pull  over  his  shoulder. 

The  line  is  caught.  He  jumped  up  instantly,  only  to 
be  dashed  to  the  ground  again  and  hurled  far  up  the  beach. 
For  a  moment  the  line  cut  deep  into  his  shoulder,  then  it 
slacked.  A  shudder  passed  through  his  very  soul. 

The  line  had  parted.  He  drew  it  in  quickly,  and  the 
end  appeared.  "  God,  help  me !  "  he  cried,  and  ran  out 
into  the  surf  to  search  for  the  line,  only  to  be  dashed  to  the 
ground  and  almost  stunned.  He  jumped  up  instantly ;  as 
the  next  breaker  came  he  dived  flat  down  on  his  face,  and 
it  passed. 

He  went  back,  groping  on  the  bottom  in  vain.     Then 


276  BUCK   JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

lie  went  out  still  nearer  the  gap  and  passed  within  ten  feet 
of  the  terrible  reef  edge,  diving  and  scraping  the  bottom, 
where  his  fingers  were  scratched  by  the  sharp  angles  of 
the  coral  foundation. 

Again  and  again  he  dived  and  swept  the  bottom.  It 
was  getting  too  deep  for  diving,  but  down  he  went  for  the 
last  time.  He  groped  on  toward  the  reef. 

At  this  instant  he  felt  something  slide  along  his  leg. 
It  was  the  line!  He  reached  and  seized  it.  It  slipped. 

He  rolled  over  on  the  ground  and  wrapped  it  three 
times  around  his  body,  braced  his  heels  and  gave  three 
pulls,  then  three  more,  and  then  it  began  to  pay  out.  It 
seemed  an  eternity  when  he  reached  the  surface  and  gasped 
and  had  to  dive  again.  Carefully,  he  approached  this 
time,  and  struck  in  obliquely  so  the  line  would  not  catch 
the  edge  of  the  gap.  When  on  his  feet,  he  quickly  cleared 
the  line  and  started  down  the  beach,  and  ran  till  abreast  of 
the  ship.  It  was  only  about  a  hundred  feet  away  from  the 
beach.  He  hauled  a  four-inch  line  ashore,  then  hauled  the 
catamaran,  with  six  men  held  down  by  lashings.  Then 
they  hauled  the  raft  ashore,  with  ten  men.  The  raft  and 
catamaran  were  then  hauled  back  to  ship  by  two  sets  of 
ropes,  and  the  trips  were  fast  and  sure.  By  twelve  o'clock 
the  whole  crew  was  off.  The  Captain  came  in  the  last  trip, 
alone.  Before  one  o'clock,  the  topgallant  forecastle  went 
over  with  a  crash  and  was  devoured  by  the  insatiable  reef. 

"  Call  all  hands  to  muster,"  ordered  the  Captain. 

"  All  present,  sir,  but  Boatswain  Casey,  Boatswain's 
Mate  Anderson,  and  Petty  Officer  Olsen,"  reported  the  exe- 
cutive officer,  and  at  the  words  Buck's  heart  suddenly 
became  dead  within  him. 


CHAPTEE  XIX 

BUCK  AND  FEEBLE  HAVE  SOME  STRANGE  ADVENTURES 

THE  little  coral  creatures  of  the  tropical  seas  are  the 
mightiest  builders  in  all  the  world.  Palaces,  towers, 
cathedrals,  bridges,  sea  walls,  jetties,  are  as  fragile 
pygmies  compared  to  the  great  reef  piles  these  tiny  insects 
build  along  the  rock  bed  of  the  ocean.  Roncador  is  a  coral 
masterpiece,  probably  reared  upon  volcanic  rock,  the  far- 
thest out  in  the  Caribbean,  where  soundings  show  two 
thousand  fathoms. 

But  Roncador's  beauty  lies  below  the  water.  Above,  it 
is  a  desolate  spot  in  the  waste  of  waters.  The  highest 
point  is  but  thirteen  feet  over  all.  It  is  but  four  or  five 
miles  long  and  a  mile  wide,  with  ponds  and  lagoons,  and 
necks  of  water  cutting  up  the  small  respite  of  sand. 
Nature  has  shrunk  from  Roncador's  desolation;  a  little 
cluster  of  dwarf  palms  is  all  there  is  to  show.  The  hurri- 
cane and  shipwreck  added  the  climax  to  the  desolation  of 
nature.  The  angry  sea  swept  masses  and  piles  of  wreck- 
age in  all  directions,  and  seemed  bent  upon  inundating  the 
pitiful  handful  of  dry  land  remaining. 

But  this  bleakest  desolation  of  dry  land  was  like  a 
paradise  to  those  who  had  for  fifteen  hours  been  at  the 
mercy  of  the  pitiless  sea.  The  Captain  and  first  lieutenant 
began  at  once  to  organize  the  ship's  company.  While 
waiting  for  death  on  the  topgallant  forecastle,  they  had 
put  the  men  for  diversion  to  work  as  much  as  possible,  get- 

277 


278  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

ting  up  what  stores  and  provisions  and  equipment  could  be 
reached  in  the  forehold  and  forecastle,  and  elsewhere  on 
the  wreck.  As  much  of  these  as  possible  was  lashed  to  the 
raft,  for  its  last  trip,  and  the  things  that  could  not  be 
rafted  were  thrown  over  the  sides  to  be  driven  up  by  the 
sea.  In  fact,  the  ship  was  so  close  to  the  beach,  and  so 
completely  demolished,  that  not  only  its  cargo,  but  the 
materials  of  the  hull  and  fittings,  were  driven  up  ashore. 
Even  coal  from  the  coal  bunkers  was  deposited  high  up  on 
the  beach.  The  Captain's  chief  concern  was  about  fresh 
water.  None  was  saved  when  the  tanks  were  crushed. 
The  scuttle  butt  in  the  forecastle  happened  to  be  full,  and 
this  was  brought  off  on  the  raft ;  but  already  it  was  getting 
low,  though  only  a  reduced  ration  of  water  was  allowed, 
and  with  clothing  soaked  by  the  spray  and  rain  less  thirst 
was  experienced  than  usual.  The  Captain  detailed  the 
executive  officer  and  thirty  men  to  provide  water.  They 
proceeded  to  gather  up  all  the  casks,  barrels,  tanks,  about 
the  beach,  and  make  them,  watertight,  and  to  fit  together 
parts  of  the  mizzen  topsail  and  mainsail,  that  came  up  on 
the  beach,  to  catch  the  rain  that  continued  to  fall.  They 
dug  two  wells  in  the  highest  part  of  the  island,  and  found 
water  more  or  less  brackish,  but  good  enough  for  cooking 
purposes.  The  navigator  and  rigger  and  twenty  men  were 
detailed  to  erect  a  flag  pole  and  fly  a  signal  of  distress  to 
attract  any  ship  that  might  pass. 

The  senior  watch  officer,  with  the  carpenter's  gang  and 
sailmaker's  mates,  ten  cadets  and  fifty  seamen,  were  de- 
tailed to  improvise  tents  and  build  huts  from  the  canvas 
and  timber  and  planking  on  the  beach.  By  sunset  there 
was  shelter  for  all,  though  of  the  crudest  kind. 

The  second  watch  officer,  paymaster,  yeoman,  ten 
cadets,  and  twenty  seamen,  were  detailed  to  gather  up 
everything  available  for  food,  from  the  boxes  and  barrels 


BUCK   AND   PREBLE   HAVE   ADVENTURES          279 

of  provisions  rafted  off,  to  the  chunks  of  salt  pork  and  tins 
of  corned  beef  and  dissolving  hard-tack  found  strewed  over 
the  sand. 

Each  kind  of  work  had  its  detail,  and  within  a  half 
hour  after  the  muster  every  man  was  hard  at  work  on  his 
particular  duty. 

Buck  and  Preble  were  assigned  with  the  junior  watch 
officer  and  ten  men  as  a  fishing  party. 

"  Mr.  Jones  is  half  fish  himself.  He  naturally  belongs 
to  the  fishing  gang,"  remarked  the  Captain  with  a  smile 
that  would  have  warmed  Buck's  heart  but  for  his  silent 
grief  at  Casey's  loss.  The  sea  was  running  so  high  the 
fishing  party  could  not  do  much,  so  they  set  to  work  to  get 
together  tackle  and  construct  a  net  and  seine.  Buck  and 
Preble  were  sent  off  with  sacks  to  gather  up  shellfish  and 
explore  the  island  from  the  standpoint  of  fishing  prospects. 
The  sailmaker's  mate  had  made  Buck  a  breech  cloth  and 
pair  of  canvas  sandals,  to  supplement  the  tarpaulin  strips 
about  his  body  that  had  served  him  so  well. 

"  It's  the  most  satisfactory  dress  I  ever  wore,"  de- 
clared Buck  when  Preble  was  inclined  to  laugh.  "  I'm 
always  ready  for  rain  and  for  going  in  the  water,  and  feel 
free  as  a  bird."  For  a  moment  he  had  forgotten  Casey. 

They  found  only  sand  crabs  and  conchs  high  up  on  the 
beach. 

"  This  will  not  make  a  very  savory  dish,  but  I  suppose 
they  can  make  soup.  I'm  going  to  get  a  line  and  go  into 
the  surf  on  the  lee  and  see  if  we  can't  find  something 
better." 

"  Bring  a  knife  with  you  to  open  the  shells,"  Preble 
suggested. 

So  when  Buck  poured  out  his  first  sack  of  shellfish 
at  the  commissary  headquarters,  an  improvised  shack 
where  all  provisions  were  being  collected,  he  gathered  up  a 


280  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

coil  of  the  line  he  had  used  in  the  night.  He  couldn't  get 
a  jackknife — the  men  were  all  using  theirs — so  he  took  a 
big  butcher  knife,  washed  up  in  a  box  of  hardware,  and 
stuck  it  in  his  waistcloth. 

"  You  are  the  image  of  a  Fiji  Islander.  You  are  my 
man  Friday.  Come  ahead."  And  Preble  led  the  way  to 
the  beach  on  the  lee  side,  trying  to  draw  Buck  from  his 
wordless  sorrow.  And  he  was  partly  successful,  for  there 
was  work  to  do,  and  Buck  remembered  it.  He  tied  the 
line  around  his  waist  and  waded  along  the  beach,  while 
Preble  held  the  other  end  of  the  line  well  ashore.  In 
places  Buck  was  astonished  at  the  strength  of  the  cur- 
rents, even  in  depths  not  over  his  hips.  In  other  places  he 
found  table  flats,  just  under  water,  with  holes  and  lagoons, 
without  current.  He  had  fallen  into  several  of  these  holes 
while  gathering  shellfish,  and  saw  schools  of  fish  of  many 
kinds. 

"  Won't  we  have  fun  over  here  when  the  nets  and 
seines  are  ready  ?  "  he  remarked,  as  he  came  out  of  a  hole 
where  a  school  of  fish  like  large  mackerel  had  darted  into 
the  crevices. 

Then,  a  little  farther,  he  paused  on  the  brink  of  a 
large  lagoon  where  the  bottom  sloped  down  toward  the  sea. 

"  I'll  go  around  this  one."  And  he  started  around  the 
edge.  "  There's  a  lot  of  big  eels  on  the  bottom  down  there. 
I'll  scare  them  up."  And  he  waded  down  to  his  hips  to 
have  fun  with  the  eels.  They  didn't  seem  to  run  at  his 
approach,  and  he  kicked  among  them.  To  his  astonish- 
ment, one  of  them  seemed  to  lay  hold  of  his  leg — then 
another  one — then  one  laid  hold  of  his  other  leg,  and 
another  and  another,  and  all  began  to  climb  slowly  up, 
winding  about  his  legs.  He  jerked  back,  but  they  pulled 
down,  heavier  and  heavier,  and  began  to  draw  him  into 
deeper  water. 


BUCK  AND   PREBLE   HAVE  ADVENTURES          281 

"  Haul  on  your  line,  Preble — quick !  A  devilfish  has 
got  me !  "  And  Buck  braced  himself  with  all  his  might. 

His  foot  caught  a  solid  hold  and  checked  the  sliding, 
with  the  water  about  at  his  waist.  The  weight  had  become 
very  heavy.  The  tentacles  climbed  up  to  his  body,  suck- 
ing tight  as  they  climbed.  Buck  reached  down  with  his 
left  hand  to  dislodge  the  tentacle  climbing  up  his  left 
thigh,  and  it  seized  his  hand  and  held  it  down.  He  felt  a 
tentacle  climbing  up  his  back.  He  drew  his  knife  and 
completely  severed  the  one  that  held  his  left  arm.  A  great 
commotion  followed,  and  another  heavy  tentacle  com- 
pletely lapped  his  left  arm  and  body. 

"  Pull  hard,  Preble,  I'm  slipping  down." 

The  monster  kept  its  longest,  lower  tentacle  holding  to 
a  fissure  in  the  coral,  and,  having  seized  the  victim  se- 
curely with  all  the  others,  was  preparing  to  draw  him 
down. 

Preble  had  braced  himself  and  was  hauling  at  the  line 
with  all  his  might.  Between  the  two  forces,  Buck  felt  his 
knees  begin  to  totter.  It  was  hard  to  get  a  clean  knife  cut 
at  the  tentacles  about  his  legs  and  body,  so  Buck  deliber- 
ately examined  the  parts  below  water,  and  discovered  the 
hideous,  hooded  monster's  head  at  about  the  height  of  his 
calves.  He  was  just  raising  his  knife  to  strike  at  the  body 
and  head  when  he  discovered  the  tentacle  extending  out  to 
the  bottom.  Preble  looked  on  aghast  as  he  saw  Buck  bend 
far  over  into  the  water,  and  the  uppermost  tentacle  close  in 
over  his  shoulder;  but  like  a  flash  Buck  severed  the  ten- 
tacle holding  to  the  coral,  then  rose  and  rushed  headlong 
up  the  beach,  bearing  the  monster  on  his  back.  The  ten- 
tacles began  to  loosen  and  slip.  Buck  grabbed  one  of  them 
a  short  distance  up,  with  his  left  hand,  and  plunged  his 
knife  through  the  head  and  body,  and  jumped  away  as  the 
great  tentacles  began  to  writhe  in  death. 
19 


282  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

"  The  old  devil  thought  he  had  you." 

"  I  began  to  think  so  myself." 

They  found  a  timber  and  lashed  the  monster  to  the 
center  and  shouldered  it  between  them.  Buck  took  up  the 
half-filled  sack  of  shellfish,  and  Preble  took  the  coil  of  line, 
and  they  started  proudly  to  camp  with  their  catch. 

It  must  have  been  about  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
when  they  started.  The  hurricane  was  still  running  high ; 
the  center  had  passed  to  the  north,  and  the  wind  had 
veered  to  the  west ;  the  reef  was  thundering  off  to  the  north 
and  east. 

"  Stop,  Preble,"  said  Buck  abruptly,  as  he  turned  his 
ear  out  to  seaward  to  the  southwest. 

"  It's  nothing  but  the  gale  and  the  sea,"  remarked 
Preble. 

Buck  still  listened. 

"  There  it  is  again." 

Preble  heard  it  this  time,  and  his  hair  stood  on  end. 

"  Help !  Help !  "  the  agonized  voice  came  from  the 
angry  sea. 

They  dropped  their  burden  and  ran  headlong  up  the 
beach.  Buck  stopped. 

"  It  comes  from  out  there,  Preble.  Get  your  line 
secure  here  ashore,  and  be  prepared  to  wade  out  to  your 
neck,  or  swim  with  the  line;  but  under  no  circumstances 
drop  the  line  or  go  beyond  its  reach.  The  current  is 
fierce." 

Buck  rushed  into  the  surf  and  then  struck  out  over- 
hand toward  the  voice.  About  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  out  he  caugnt  sight  of  a  man's  head  about  a  hun- 
dred yards  farther.  Buck  never  made  such  speed  be- 
fore. Across  the  trough,  through  and  under  the  seas  he 
plowed. 


BUCK  AND  PREBLE  HAVE  ADVENTURES    283 

"  I'll  be  with  you  in  a  minute,"  he  called  out  cheerily. 
The  man  was  holding  another  man.  Buck's  heart  pounded 
against  the  walls  of  his  chest. 

"  Is  that  you,  Casey  ?  "  he  cried. 

"No;  it'sOlsen." 

"  Is  that  Casey  you  have  ?  " 

"  No ;  it's  Anderson,  Mr.  Jones.  The  current  is  fear- 
ful. We've  been  trying  to  make  it  for  two  hours  and  were 
just  giving  up  when  we  saw  you  two." 

Buck  took  Anderson,  who  was  in  the  last  stages  of  ex- 
haustion, on  his  left  shoulder,  and  started  ahead.  Poor 
Olsen  tried  his  best  to  follow,  but  he,  too,  was  at  the  last 
extremity. 

"  Come  along,  Olsen,  and  I  will  give  you  a  lift. 
Anderson,  can  you  keep  your  head  up  ?  " 

"  I'll  try,  sir." 

The  two  men  kept  their  heads  above  water,  and  Buck 
began  to  push  them  both,  first  one,  then  the  other.  They 
seemed  to  make  good  headway  at  first,  and  Buck  was  get- 
ting in  a  good,  strong  stroke  with  one  arm  and  both  legs. 
But  the  headway  soon  decreased. 

"  It's  been  this  way  for  a  long  time.  I'm  afraid  we 
can't  make  it  through  this  current  inshore." 

Olsen  was  getting  discouraged. 

"  Oh,  yes,  we  can,"  said  Buck  with  confidence  and 
vigor.  "  You  get  Anderson  in  tandem.  I'll  push  with  my 
head  and  use  both  hands  and  legs." 

The  new  move  proved  of  great  advantage,  and  Buck 
summoned  his  whole  strength. 

"  Come  out  to  the  end  of  the  line,  Preble,  but  tie  it  to 
your  ankle." 

The  sight  of  Preble  coming  ont  with  the  line  cheered 
the  two  exhausted  men,  and  they  tried  to  strike  out  for 
themselves.  Olsen  helped  a  little,  but  Anderson  tried  in 


284  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

vain.  He  was  fast  drifting  into  unconsciousness,  and 
could  barely  keep  his  head  up.  When  Preble  reached  the 
end  of  the  line,  the  swimmers  wrere  only  about  thirty  yards 
away.  Buck  was  making  terrific  efforts,  but  the  current 
was  running  like  a  mill  race.  He  cut  the  distance  down  to 
about  twenty  yards,  but  all  his  efforts  could  get  them  no 
farther.  All  began  to  despair  but  Buck. 

"  Olsen,  you  are  a  brave  man.  I'm  going  to  take 
Anderson  in,  and  then  come  for  you." 

"  You  are  right,  Mr.  Jones." 

It  took  Buck  forty-five  minutes  to  push  Anderson 
across  those  twenty  yards  into  Preble's  reach,  and  when  he 
came  back  Olsen  had  drifted  nearly  a  half  mile  away.  It 
took  an  hour  and  a  quarter  to  push  Olsen  in. 

When  they  reached  camp,  the  surgeon  took  charge  of 
Olsen  and  Anderson,  and  promised  they  would  be  all  right 
next  day. 

"  It  was  a  catch,  gentlemen,"  said  the  Captain,  as  he 
came  upon  Buck  and  Preble,  "  two  seamen  and  a  devil- 
fish in  an  afternoon." 

The  octopus  measured  nine  feet  across  his  tentacles, 
and  would  have  probably  measured  two  feet  more  if  one  of 
the  longest  tentacles  had  not  been  left  behind.  The  whole 
ship's  company  feasted  on  the  soup  and  steaks  of  devilfish 
for  three  days. 

At  sunset  the  ship's  company  was  assembled,  and  the 
Chaplain  offered  up  prayers.  Buck  never  realized  so  much 
before  that  man  is  but  a  waif  on  the  ocean  of  infinity.  At 
nightfall  they  lighted  a  big  bonfire  of  driftwood,  wreckage, 
and  coal  picked  up  on  the  beach.  Before  going  off  to  their 
various  tents  and  improvised  shacks  for  the  night,  all 
hands  gathered  around  the  bonfire.  Anderson  and  Olsen, 
fast  becoming  limbered  up,  told  of  their  long  sojourn  in 


BUCK  AND  PREBLE  HAVE  ADVENTURES    285 

the  water,  baffled  by  the  heavy  sea  and  the  fierce  currents, 
and  of  the  remarkable  coincidence  of  their  meeting. 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  get  over  those  curlers,  Mr. 
Jones  ?  "  asked  Olsen  with  astonishment. 

"  I  went  under  them." 

"  Mr.  Jones  doesn't  swim,  Olsen — he  dives."  And  a 
smile  played  over  Kelly's  face,  and  passed  to  the  others. 

Buck  listened  to  the  men  talking  over  the  experiences 
on  the  topgallant  forecastle — the  steady  grinding  of  the 
boilers,  as  the  bow  went  down  before  their  advance.  His 
heart  was  too  heavy  to  join  them  in  speech,  but  they  all 
knew  the  sorrow  that  was  preying  upon  him,  and  in  which 
they,  too,  shared. 

The  gathering  did  not  linger  long.  The  men  had  not 
been  to  bed  for  thirty-six  hours,  and  had  been  under  the 
severest  strain.  They  soon  dispersed  to  sleep  on  their 
sandy  beds.  When  the  others  were  gone,  Buck  went  over 
to  Olsen  and  Anderson. 

"  You  saw  nothing  of  Casey  ? "  he  asked,  his  face 
drawn  with  his  sorrow. 

"  Nothing." 

Both  the  seamen  loved  Casey,  but  they  forgot  their 
own  grief  when  they  looked  into  Buck's  eyes  as  he  turned 
away.  He  then  wrent  over  to  Kelly. 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  any  chance  ?  " 

Kelly  knew  what  he  meant,  and  shook  his  head. 

"  I  paid  out  the  line,  Mr.  Jones.  Casey  compressed 
his  whole  strength  into  the  effort.  When  finally  exhaust- 
ed, he  pulled  the  line,  a  signal  of  last  good-by." 

Buck  turned  away  without  a  word.  When  all  was 
quiet,  and  only  the  sentry  was  astir,  Kelly  slipped  over 
to  Buck's  shack,  but  Buck  was  not  there.  He  asked  the 
sentry. 

"  He  walked  down  toward  the  beach  awhile  ago." 


286  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Kelly  went  out  to  search.  He  discovered  Buck's  fig- 
ure sitting  on  the  sand,  looking  out  toward  the  wreck.  He 
saw  him  put  his  face  in  his  hands  and  rock  back  and  forth 
in  silent  anguish.  Kelly  walked  up  quietly  and  touched 
him  on  the  head.  Buck  looked  up. 

"  It's  all  right,  Mr.  Jones.  He  felt  that  his  day  was 
done.  It  was  a  noble  death." 

The  sympathy  in  Kelly's  voice  was  too  much.  It  was 
like  the  sympathy  his  mother  used  to  give.  He  broke  down 
and  sobbed  as  though  his  heart  would  break.  Kelly  tried 
to  comfort  him — in  vain;  the  floods  had  broken  through. 

"  He  never  knew  how  much  I  loved  him.  Why  did  I 
let  him  try  before  me  ?  He  was  an  old  man ;  I  ought  to 
have  tried  first."  His  words  came  brokenly  between  sobs. 

Kelly's  tender  heart  could  stand  the  strain  no  longer ; 
he  broke  down  and  began  to  sob  himself.  He  took  Buck's 
hand  and  began  to  tell  about  Casey,  between  his  sobs.  The 
rugged  seaman  and  the  manly  boy,  holding  hands  on  the 
beach,  wept  themselves  out,  while  the  lowering  clouds 
marched  by  overhead,  and  the  pitiless  sea  roared  its  dirge 
over  the  watery  grave  of  their  comrade. 

The  camp  was  astir  at  daybreak.  The  men  missed  the 
early  coffee,  but  the  surgeon  prescribed  a  cup  of  boiling 
hot  water,  which  proved  a  better  substitute  than  anyone 
expected.  Everybody  enjoyed  the  devilfish  steaks,  and 
Preble  and  Buck  were  off  before  the  rest  of  the  fishing 
party.  It  had  rained  hard  during  the  night,  and  all  the 
receptacles  were  full  of  water.  The  hurricane,  however, 
had  subsided  considerably,  and  was  fast  passing  away  to 
the  north.  The  sun  was  breaking  out  at  times.  The  two 
cadets  went  down  to  the  lee  side.  Preble  lingered  to  pick 
up  some  fine  conchs  that  had  been  washed  up  during  the 
night,  and  Buck  went  on  ahead,  line  in  hand.  As  he 


BUCK  AND  PREBLE  HAVE  ADVENTURES    287 

passed  the  highest  sand-dune,  he  noticed  a  big  brown  ob- 
ject, half  covered  in  the  sand. 

"  It  must  be  a  piece  of  wreckage,"  he  thought,  and  was 
passing  on  when  he  wondered  how  the  wreckage  could  have 
gotten  so  high  up  in  the  sand,  over  on  the  sheltered  side. 

"  Perhaps  it's  from  an  old  wreck,  and  is  slowly  dis- 
appearing in  the  sand." 

His  curiosity  was  aroused,  and  he  went  up  and  stood 
on  the  object  and  began  to  kick  the  sand  off. 

"  It's  round !     What  a  remarkable  color !  " 

The  object  began  to  move  under  his  feet.  Buck  was 
petrified  with  astonishment.  The  sand  opened  and  up 
stuck  the  monster  head  of  a  giant  turtle,  the  red  streak 
about  its  eyes  flashing  fire  like  a  dragon.  Buck  jumped  as 
though  shot  from  a  gun,  and  ran  ten  or  fifteen  yards,  but 
soon  recovered  himself  and  turned  back  to  reconnoiter. 
The  great  creature  was  leisurely  working  its  flippers  cov- 
ering up  the  hole  with  sand.  Buck  cautiously  drew 
nearer.  It  paid  but  little  attention  to  his  presence,  con- 
tinuing its  work  till  completed,  then  turned  down,  with 
its  slow,  awkward  stride,  toward  the  beach.  The  sporting 
spirit  began  to  assert  itself,  and  to  supplant  the  tempo- 
rary paralysis  produced  in  Buck  by  the  sudden  apparition. 
He  ran  down  to  head  it  off.  The  monster  was  waist-high, 
and  came  straight  upon  him,  opening  its  great  beak  that 
was  as  big  as  a  saucer.  Buck  drew  his  big  knife,  but 
jumped  aside,  afraid  to  remain  within  reach.  The  turtle 
passed  on.  Buck  ran  down  in  front  of  it  again,  only  to 
step  aside  as  it  lumbered  upon  him  with  head  raised  and 
its  beak  opening  and  shutting  like  a  gander's.  Buck  ran  up 
from  behind  and  struck  at  the  turtle  with  his  knife,  under 
the  shell  near  the  right  hind  leg.  The  creature  stopped 
and  turned  partly  around,  while  Buck  retreated.  Then  it 
resumed  its  course  for  the  sea. 


288  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck  became  desperate.  He  ran  and  leaped  upon  the 
turtle's  back.  The  turtle  only  looked  up  sidewise  and  con- 
tinued its  course.  Buck  steadied  himself  and  got  down 
on  his  knees,  then  spread  out  flat  on  his  face  and  drew 
himself  well  forward,  then  raised  upon  his  left  hand  and 
with  his  right  hand  made  a  fierce  jab  at  the  turtle's  neck. 
Like  a  thunderbolt  the  creature  snapped  the  knife  out  of 
his  hand,  breaking  the  blade  and  sending  the  handle  flying. 
The  twist  almost  dislocated  Buck's  elbow  joint.  He  was 
baffled.  He  stood  up  on  the  back,  impotent,  while  the 
creature  began  to  lumber  along  toward  the  sea.  He  looked 
around,  as  though  for  a  suggestion,  and  noticed  the  line 
coiled  on  the  sand,  where  he  had  dropped  it  in  the  first 
dash  of  flight.  An  inspiration  seized  him.  He  jumped 
off,  ran  for  the  rope,  and  dashed  back,  fixing  a  noose  and 
calling  for  Preble  as  he  ran.  To  Preble,  coming  up  in  the 
distance,  it  was  a  strange  sight — Buck  balanced  on  the 
turtle's  back,  swinging  the  noose  for  its  head.  The  turtle 
paid  but  little  attention,  and  in  a  few  trials  Buck  had  the 
noose  over  its  head  and  well  up  its  neck.  He  pulled  in 
gently  and  when  the  noose  was  about  home,  gave  it  a  hard 
jerk,  slid  back  on  the  ground,  and  began  to  pull.  The  tur- 
tle shook  its  head,  pulled  its  neck  in  short,  and  went  ahead, 
the  rope  passing  over  its  back.  Buck  pulled  with  all  his 
might,  wrapped  the  line  around  his  body,  stuck  his  heels 
in  the  sand — in  vain — the  steed  dragged  him  on. 

"  Hold  to  him,  Buck — hold  to  him !  "  shouted  Preble, 
as  he  came  on  a  run.  The  two  hauled  together.  In  vain ! 
Steadily  they  were  dragged  toward  the  water. 

"  Let's  try  him  sidewise,"  suggested  Buck,  and  they 
ran  around  and  pulled  together  at  right  angles.  The  turtle 
began  to  turn. 

"  Keep  pulling  him  to  the  side !  " 

And  soon  they  had  him  turned  entirely  around ;  then 


BUCK  AND  PREBLE  HAVE  ADVENTURES    289 

he  began  to  pull  backward  and  was  gradually  outpulling 
them. 

"  Get  a  pole  behind  him,  Preble,"  said  Buck,  and 
Preble  ran  off  and  soon  came  back  with  a  four-inch  timber 
eight  or  nine  feet  long. 

"  Hurry  up  and  get  it  behind  him,  Preble.  He's  been 
snapping,  and  has  snapped  one  strand  of  the  line  in  two." 

Preble  planted  the  timber,  and  the  turtle  backed  up 
against  it  to  a  standstill. 

"  Prize  him  forward,"  cried  Buck  with  delight. 

The  turtle  was  bewildered  when  Preble,  using  the  pole 
as  a  lever,  prized  him  forward.  He  started  ahead,  then 
attempted  to  turn.  Buck  stuck  his  heels  in  the  sand  and 
held  him  straight. 

"  Prize  ahead,  Preble." 

The  turtle  started  ahead  and  tried  to  turn  again,  and 
Buck  held  him  straight. 

"  Prize  away,  Preble." 

Soon  they  were  making  fair  progress.  The  pole  always 
bewildered  the  turtle,  and  they  gained  four  or  five  yards 
each  time  they  prized.  Again  and  again  the  turtle  balked 
and  tried  to  turn,  but  each  time  the  pole  started  him  up 
again. 

Buck  regarded  it  as  the  proudest  moment  of  his  life 
when  they  "  drove  "  the  turtle  into  camp.  Everybody  sus- 
pended work.  The  Captain  and  officers  and  men  alike 
rushed  out. 

"  What's  that  you've  got,  Mr.  Jones  ? "  called  out 
Kelly,  smiling  all  over. 

"  Only  a  dray  horse  to  do  the  heavy  hauling.  Preble, 
show  his  paces." 

The  company  roared  when  Preble  applied  the  pole  vig- 
orously and  the  great  creature,  as  broad  across  the  back  as 
a  barn  door,  literally  paced  down  the  line. 


290  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  It'll  be  great  eating,  Mr.  Jones,"  remarked  the  pay- 
master, whose  mind  was  bent  on  the  question  of  provi- 
sions ;  "  we'll  credit  you  and  Mr.  Preble  with  a  thousand 
pounds  of  fresh  provisions.  He'll  weigh  more  than  that." 

Buck  had  slackened  the  line,  and  the  turtle  snapped  at 
it  and  cut  another  strand;  and  snapped  again,  and  the 
line  parted.  Then  it  began  to  look  around,  and  started  for 
the  beach.  Buck  hurriedly  tied  another  noose  and  climbed 
on  its  back,  and  soon  had  it  lassoed  again.  It  was  like  a 
circus  exhibition.  Buck  stood  straight  up,  steadying  him- 
self with  the  line,  and  the  turtle  ran  its  best. 

"  This  is  the  only  genuine  bareback  rider  of  sea  mon- 
sters," Kelly  called  out,  to  imitate  a  circus  announce- 
ment. 

When  he  had  ridden  a  hundred  yards,  Preble,  with 
his  lever,  ran  in  front  to  turn  him.  The  turtle  seized  the 
lever  in  its  beak,  overturned  Preble  and  ran  partly  over 
him.  Buck  jumped  down,  ran  to  the  side  and  turned  the 
turtle  half  round,  while  Preble  jumped  up  and  began  the 
prizing  operation;  and  soon  they  had  the  bewildered 
creature  back  in  camp. 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  him,  Preble  ?  He'd  tear  down 
any  shack  here." 

"  There  is  no  trouble  about  keeping  him,"  said  Kelly. 
"  Send  me  your  pole,  Mr.  Preble.  Three  or  four  of  you 
lend  me  a  hand.  Let  him  start  up,  Mr.  Jones." 

As  the  turtle  started,  they  put  the  pole  across  its  route, 
and  when  it  had  just  begun  to  pass  over  the  pole,  the  four 
men  raised  it  with  energy  and  turned  it  on  its  back.  There 
it  sprawled,  its  legs  and  neck  working  in  the  air,  utterly 
helpless. 

"  It'll  stay  there  without  any  trouble,  now,  and  it'll 
keep  fresh  for  a  month.  There'll  be  no  starvation  in  this 
camp,"  said  Kelly. 


BUCK  AND  PREBLE  HAVE  ADVENTURES    291 

"  Where  did  you  find  him,  Mr.  Jones  ?  "  asked  one  of 
the  men. 

"  We  found  him  down  there  half  buried  in  the  sand." 

Kelly  laughed. 

"  I  guess  it's  not  a  him — it's  a  her.  That  old  turtle 
has  probably  been  laying  eggs  in  that  sand  pile  for  a  thou- 
sand years." 

Buck  was  off  with  a  dash  for  the  sand  pile,  and  brought 
back  Preble's  hat  full  of  big  eggs.  His  delight  was  com- 
plete. 


CHAPTEE  XX 


MR.  JONES,  I  would  like  to  speak  to  you  a 
moment,"  said  the  Captain,  as  Buck  put  down 
the  eggs  with  triumph. 

Buck  went  over  with  the  Captain  to  his  tent. 

"  Roncador  is  far  from  the  track  of  regular  steamers. 
There  is  no  telling  how  long  we  might  be  left  here.  I  have 
decided  to  send  a  boat  to  Old  Providence,  and  thence  to 
Colon  for  succor.  The  navigator  asks  to  take  the  boat. 
He  has  been  sick  for  some  time,  and  the  surgeon  pro- 
nounces him  a  sick  man  now.  But  he  is  anxious  to  do 
what  he  can.  I  have  consented  to  let  him  take  the  boat. 
He  wants  a  junior  officer  to  go  along,  and  asks  that  you  be 
detailed.  You  have  been  under  severe  strain,  and  are  en- 
titled to  rest." 

"  I  am  entirely  rested,  sir." 

"  The  trip  is  uncertain.  The  carpenter's  gang  is 
patching  up  the  skeleton  of  the  sailing  launch  thrown  up 
on  the  beach,  and  nailing  on  miscellaneous  boards  and 
planks,  and  will  cover  the  seams  with  canvas ;  but  it  will 
leak  badly  and  require  constant  bailing.  If  the  weather  is 
good,  it  may  come  out  all  right;  if  bad,  probably  not. 
Four  men  have  volunteered.  The  boat  will  leave  as  soon 
as  it  is  ready  and  the  sea  moderates  a  little  more.  Will 
you  volunteer  to  go  ?  " 

292 


BUCK  HAS  HIS  FIRST  COMMISSION  293 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  report  to  the  navigator." 

The  Captain  bowed,  and  Buck  went  out  and  reported 
to  the  navigator. 

"  Inspect  everything,  Mr.  Jones,  and  let  me  know 
when  you  are  ready.  I'm  getting  the  navigating  instru- 
ments ready.  We  have  a  boat  compass,  but  I'll  have  to  get 
together  the  fragments  of  a  sextant  and  the  scattered 
leaves  of  a  Nautical  Almanac  and  Bowditch  Table.  We'll 
have  some  difficult  navigation." 

Soon  Buck  was  following  up  all  the  work  of  prepara- 
tion, inspecting  the  carpenter's  gang  on  the  boat  and  mast, 
and  the  sailmaker's  mates  on  the  sail;  the  men  getting 
fresh  water  breakers  and  provisions,  including  a  big  sec- 
tion of  devilfish.  lie  got  the  sailmaker's  mate  to  sew  up 
some  canvas  strips  and  make  a  pair  of  trousers  and  a  can- 
vas cap. 

"  You  look  like  a  prince,  Mr.  Jones,  in  your  royal 
robes."  Kelly  had  a  good  laugh  at  Buck's  expense.  "  But 
I  prefer  you  in  the  robe  of  a  Fiji  Islander." 

Buck  was  anxious  to  navigate  by  the  North  Star.  He 
hurried  up  the  work,  and  at  sunset  reported  to  the  navi- 
gator that  all  was  ready  on  the  lee  side.  The  little  open 
boat  shoved  off  as  the  tropical  darkness  fell.  The  wind 
was  blowing  fresh  from  the  west,  direct  ahead,  so  they 
stood  away  on  the  starboard  tack,  the  navigator  at  the 
helm.  The  sea  was  running  high,  and  the  boat  shipped  a 
good  deal  of  water.  One  man  was  kept  bailing  constantly, 
and  at  times  two.  The  clouds  were  fast  disappearing,  and 
soon  the  stars  were  beginning  to  show  through.  The  little 
crew  watched  the  bonfire  on  Roncador  till  its  glow  disap- 
peared below  the  horizon. 

"  I!d  like  to  relieve  you,  sir,"  said  Buck,  to  the  navi- 
gator, about  ten  o'clock.  "  The  doctor  said  you  were  sick. 


294  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

You'd  better  sleep  if  you  can.  I'm  going  to  watch  the 
stars  through  to-night." 

"  We'll  stand  watch  and  watch,  Mr.  Jones.  The 
shigras  fever  is  in  my  bones,  but  I'm  good  for  the  trip  all 
right." 

Some  planks  had  been  nailed  across  the  thwarts  for 
beds.  Two  of  the  seamen  stretched  out  on  one  side,  the 
other  two  remaining  on  watch,  one  to  bail  out,  the  other  to 
tend  the  main  sheet.  Soon  Buck  stretched  out  on  the  other 
side.  Whether  it  was  because  of  the  activity  during  the 
day  in  the  open  air,  or  because  he  had  become  a  seaman 
through  and  through,  Buck  fell  asleep  almost  instantly, 
stretched  out  on  a  plank,  without  pillow,  in  a  small  boat 
being  roughly  handled  in  a  sea  way. 

At  midnight  the  sleepers  were  called  and  took  the 
watch.  Buck  tacked,  with  the  view  of  running  the  watch 
through  on  the  port  tack.  The  stars  had  come  out  in  all 
their  splendor.  The  clouds  had  disappeared.  The  boat 
heeled  well  over  in  the  fresh  breeze.  Buck  would  put  his 
hand  out  in  the  mild,  tropical  water.  He  felt  an  exhila- 
ration from  the  sea,  and  the  sky ;  he  was  so  close,  so  very 
close,  to  them.  He  watched  the  constellations  making 
their  way  across  the  heavens.  About  three  o'clock  the 
wind  drew  around  to  the  northwest,  and  Buck  went  about. 
The  navigator  made  a  remark  that  showed  he  had  not  been 
asleep  at  all.  So  at  four  o'clock,  when  the  two  seamen 
were  called,  Buck  left  the  navigator  undisturbed,  as  he 
seemed  to  be  dozing  off,  and  he  did  not  wake  till  about 
eight  o'clock. 

"  I'm  so  sorry,  Mr.  Jones." 

"  No  apologies,  sir.  I  was  enjoying  myself  so  much 
I  couldn't  bear  to  stop." 

They  washed  over  the  side  in  the  salt  water,  ate  some 
cold  devilfish,  and  got  comfortable  for  the  day. 


BUCK  HAS  HIS   FIRST  COMMISSION  295 

"  I'll  take  the  sights,  sir,"  volunteered  Buck,  and  he 
got  a  good  time  sight  about  eight  o'clock,  then  a  good 
meridian  altitude.  Locating  their  position  on  the  soiled 
chart,  they  found  they  had  made  excellent  progress.  The 
wind  was  now  around  to  the  north,  still  holding  fresh, 
while  the  sea  was  going  down  rapidly. 

"  If  this  luck  continues,"  remarked  the  navigator,  as 
he  set  a  course  by  the  boat  compass,  "  we'll  make  Old 
Providence  by  five  o'clock." 

When  Buck  took  the  helm  at  noon,  the  navigator  re- 
marked that  his  fever. was  running  high.  Along  about 
three  o'clock  he  said  it  was  running  higher. 

"  If  my  temperature  should  make  me  delirious,  have 
one  of  the  men  stay  by  me  at  Old  Providence,  charter  the 
largest  fishing  vessel  you  can  find,  and  start  for  Colon  at 
the  earliest  practicable  moment.  After  arriving,  telegraph 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  charter  a  steamer  to  run  to 
Roncador."  And  he  handed  Buck  one  hundred  dollars  in 
gold  and  the  paymaster's  draft  for  five  hundred  dollars. 

It  was  magnificent  sailing,  and  they  reached  the  small 
fishing  village  of  Old  Providence  about  four  o'clock.  Un- 
fortunately, the  navigator  had  become  delirious.  Buck 
sent  him  ashore  with  a  seaman  to  take  care  of  him,  giving 
the  seaman  thirty  dollars  for  expenses.  Then,  with  quick 
decision,  he  ordered  a  fishing  vessel  to  go  to  Roncador  with 
a  load  of  fresh  water,  oranges,  and  fresh  food,  and  by  sun- 
set he  was  off  in  a  ten-ton  fishing  schooner,  chartered  for 
ten  dollars  per  day.  The  wind  was  almost  back  to  the 
northeast  trades.  The  schooner  was  speedy.  Straight  on 
their  course  they  held  with  all  sail  set,  night  and  day. 
Buck  took  frequent  sights,  by  day  and  by  night.  Each 
time  he  located  his  position  it  showed  large  gains.  He 
made  over  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  the  first  day,  over 
a  hundred  the  second,  and  moored  at  the  dock  in  Colon 


296  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

shortly  after  sun-up  the  third  morning.  A  magnificent  ex- 
perience !  In  supreme  command !  Buck  had  never  en- 
joyed anything  so  much  in  his  life. 

He  aroused  the  American  Consul  from  bed;  by  ten 
o'clock  had  chartered  the  mail  steamer  Panama;  and  by 
noon  was  off  for  Roncador,  after  sending  the  following 
cable  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy : 

"  Kearsarge  wrecked  and  destroyed  on  Roncador  last 
Friday  night.  All  safe  ashore  save  Boatswain  Casey,  who 
met  heroic  death.  Sailing  to  rescue  in  steamer  Panama. 

(Signed)  "  B.  P.  Jones,  Naval  Cadet." 

By  the  time  this  message  reached  America,  the 
Panama  was  far  on  her  way,  and  before  sunset  the  next 
day  the  survivors  were  safe  on  board.  She  went  over  to 
Old  Providence  the  same  night,  for  the  navigator,  and 
started  for  New  York,  reaching  there  without  incident  the 
end  of  the  next  week.  Buck's  third  class-cruise  then  came 
to  a  premature  end. 

A  big  crowd  met  the  Panama  at  the  wharf.  The  loss 
of  the  historic  Kearsarge  had  produced  regret  all  over  the 
country.  Buck's  telegram  had  been  the  only  authentic 
news,  and  many  wild  accounts  had  been  published  as  ema- 
nating from  Colon,  so  that  the  whole  country  was  waiting, 
eager.  The  newspaper  correspondents  and  reporters  came 
down  the  bay  in  a  tug  to  meet  the  Panama,  and  fell  upon 
the  officers  and  men  of  the  Kearsarge.  Buck  had  almost 
nothing  to  say;  but  by  the  time  the  vessel  reached  the 
wharf  a  hundred  graphic  accounts  of 'the  wreck  and  the 
sojourn  on  Roncador,  colored  by  a  score  of  vivid  newspaper 
imaginations,  were  ready  for  the  evening  papers,  and  a 
vast  accumulation  of  mail  was  sent  ashore. 

At  quarantine,  orders  from  the  Navy  Department 
were  brought  off,  directing  the  officers  to  appear  before  a 


BUCK  HAS  HIS  FIRST  COMMISSION  297 

Board  of  Inquiry,  assembled  at  the  New  York  Navy  Yard, 
to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  the  wreck.  The  enlisted  men 
were  ordered  to  the  receiving  ship  Vermont,  at  the  same 
yard,  where  they  would  be  available  for  witnesses.  The 
navigator  had  improved,  but  had  to  be  sent  to  the  Naval 
Hospital.  Buck  and  Preble  were  surprised  and  delighted 
to  see  Mrs.  Preble  on  the  wharf.  Buck's  delight  was 
almost  as  great  as  Preble's.  Mrs.  Preble  could  hardly 
contain  herself.  The  thought  of  all  that  her  boy  had  been 
through  brought  the  tears  constantly  to  her  eyes.  She  told 
Buck  that  she  had  been  in  correspondence  with  his  mother. 

"  I  went  to  see  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,"  she  said 
with  enthusiasm,  "  and  it  has  all  been  arranged.  After  the 
Court  of  Inquiry  is  over,  you  are  both  to  have  leave  till 
September  30th.  Bainbridge  will  go  to  Alabama  with  you 
the  first  half  of  the  time,  and  you  will  come  up  to  the 
White  Mountains  with  him  the  second  half.  I  have  rooms 
for  us  all  in  New  York  while  the  court  lasts." 

The  witnesses  were  called  in  the  order  of  rank,  so  that 
Buck  and  Preble  did  not  take  the  stand  for  a  week.  Dur- 
ing this  time  they  "  saw  New  York."  Preble  had  been  to 
New  York  before,  but  the  great  city  was  a  revelation  to 
Buck.  Mrs.  Preble  had  secured  quiet  rooms,  where  the 
"  poor  boys  "  could  rest ;  but  the  "  poor  boys  "  were  not 
still  a  moment.  Preble  undertook  to  be  the  guide,  but  soon 
Buck  was  driving  him  into  all  kinds  of  strange  places,  par- 
ticularly where  engines  and  machinery  were  operating. 
They  went  to  Coney  Island  and  several  of  the  beaches  to 
swim  and  see  the  sights.  Mrs.  Preble  was  considerate 
enough  to  stay  behind  frequently,  and  have  ice  cream  and 
good  things  when  they  returned. 

"  I've  had  the  time  of  my  life,"  said  Buck,  when  she 
told  them  good-by  and  left  them  on  the  through  sleeper 
for  Birmingham. 
20 


298  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

It  was  a  happy  day  when  Buck  and  Preble  reached 
Sumter.  Half  the  town  turned  out  to  meet  them.  Buck's 
fraternity,  headed  by  his  oldest  brother,  Hugh,  boarded  the 
train  at  a  crossing  three  miles  above  town,  where  the  train 
stopped  by  agreement  with  the  conductor. 

"  Fellows,  this  is  Preble." 

Buck  looked  out  of  both  sides  of  the  car  at  the  same 
time,  so  as  to  miss  nothing  of  the  familiar  scenes  that 
made  his  heart  leap. 

"  You  see  that  clump  of  plum  trees  over  there,  Preble  ? 
That's  where  a  fine  covey  of  partridges  ranges.  I'm  sorry 
it's  out  of  the  season." 

Buck's  glance  passed  on  across  the  broom-sage  field, 
turning  a  little  wistful. 

"  Out  there,"  whispered  Hugh  to  Preble,  "  Buck  acci- 
dentally shot  his  favorite  dog,  Hugo." 

The  train  lost  twenty  minutes  more  at  Sumter  station. 
Captain  Sled  and  his  engineer  and  the  agent  had  to  join  in 
the  welcome.  Half  the  stores  in  town  were  closed. 

"  Papa,  this  is  Preble.  Colonel  Picket,  my  friend 
Mr.  Preble." 

Buck  was  beaming  with  delight,  introducing  Preble  to 
his  family  and  friends. 

"  Your  mother  is  waiting  to  greet  you  at  home,  Buck," 
said  his  father.  "  She  knew  it  would  be  so  crowded  here." 

Buck  broke  away  from  the  crowd,  leaving  Preble  in 
Hugh's  charge,  and  started  down  the  railroad  track  on  a 
run,  then  across  the  fields.  He  crowded  through  the  old 
hole  in  the  rear  hedge,  dashed  down  the  slope,  leaped  the 
branch,  ran  up  the  other  slope  by  the  old  smokehouse  and 
chicken  house  and  kitchen. 

"  How  d'y'  do,  Aunt  Becky  ?  "  he  called  out,  but  never 
paused.  Up  the  back  steps,  across  the  back  piazza.,  in  the 
back  door,  down  the  wide  hall,  out  on  the  front  piazza. 


BUCK  HAS  HIS  FIRST  COMMISSION  299 

"  Mamma — mamma !  " 

"My  Buck!    My  Buck!" 

Buck  took  his  little  mother  up  in  his  strong  arms. 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  I  was  looking  for  your 
coming  from  the  big  gate." 

"  I  couldn't  wait,  mamma.  I  came  across  the  fields." 
And  Buck  had  the  first  ten  minutes  with  his  mother 
alone. 

"  How  you  have  grown,  Buck !  You  are  as  tall  as 
Hugh.  I  would  scarcely  have  known  you — and  you  look 
like  a  man." 

"  You  have  to  be  a  man  at  Annapolis,"  said  Buck  with 
evident  pride. 

Soon  after  the  others  came,  Buck  took  Preble  off  to  the 
lot  to  see  Uncle  Ben  and  the  horses,  then  out  to  the  pasture 
to  see  the  cows,  and  then  to  the  garden  and  to  the  water- 
melon patch. 

"  Hold  on,  Preble.  That  one's  not  ripe.  Let's  try 
this  one."  Buck  thumped  the  biggest.  "  Let's  bring  it 
over  here  to  the  scuppernong  arbor. >? 

Buck  raised  the  big  melon  and  dropped  it.  It  broke 
wide  open,  and  the  big  red  heart  separated  from  the  rest. 

"  Try  this."  And  Buck  handed  Preble  a  big  chunk  of 
heart  as  big  as  his  head,  and  the  two  fell  to  eating. 

"  I've  never  tasted  anything  so  good,"  said  Preble. 

"  It's  the  only  way  to  eat  a  watermelon,"  remarked 
Buck  knowingly,  as  he  brought  his  face  up,  dripping. 

They  went  through  the  orchard  on  the  way  to  the 
house,  and  continued  to  stuff  with  apples  and  peaches  and 
figs.  Preble  was  particularly  delighted  with  the  figs. 

Late  that  afternoon  the  whole  town  came  down  to 
Wildwood,  old  and  young  alike.  Mrs.  Jones  had  tea  and 
lemonade  and  ice  cream  out  under  the  big  magnolia  trees. 
All  the  ladies  and  girls  were  in  white. 


300  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  We  are  sorry  the  magnolias  are  through  blooming, 
Mr.  Preble,"  said  Mrs.  Jones. 

"  It  couldn't  be  more  beautiful  than  it  is/'  replied 
Preble  with  enthusiasm. 

He  thought  he  had  never  seen  so  many  beautiful  girls 
in  his  life. 

"  Every  other  girl  you  meet  down  here  would  be  called 
a  raving  beauty  anywhere  else,"  he  wrote  his  mother. 

Mrs.  Preble  soon  became  anxious  about  her  son's  heart. 
He  was  accustomed  to  tell  her  everything,  and  he  confided 
to  her  that  he  was  in  love  with  Miss  Picket.  Fortunately, 
he  thought  he  was  in  love  with  three  others  in  succession 
before  he  left.  Buck  was  gallant  and  deferential  to  all 
alike.  The  two  cadets  were  the  lions  of  the  town,  and  the 
envy  of  all  the  other  boys,  particularly  on  one  occasion  of 
ceremony,  when  they  wore  their  full-dress  uniforms. 

Buck  organized  a  summer  baseball  nine  among  the 
town  boys,  and  got  up  a  series  of  games  with  the  neighbor- 
ing towns ;  and  Preble  played  first  base  while  Buck  caught. 

Major  Jones  got  up  a  camping  trip  up  to  the  lakes, 
and  the  boys  had  a  week  of  good  sport  catching  trout, 
bream,  and  white  perch,  and  in  swimming  and  rowing. 
Buck  showed  the  other  boys  many  new  points  in  swim- 
ming. 

"  Show  us  the  stroke  you  used  when  you  swam  from 
the  wreck." 

Buck  showed  them  the  stroke,  but  remarked  scornfully : 

"  You  can't  do  anything  in  fresh  water." 

The  second  day  in  camp,  Buck  slipped  off  with  Preble 
before  daybreak,  and  they  brought  in  a  wild  turkey  each. 

"  It  was  terribly  exciting.  I  had  the  buck  fever,  but 
I  got  my  gobbler  all  right,"  Preble  wrote  his  mother. 

The  boys  had  another  camping  trip  on  the  river,  which 
they  enjoyed  very  much.  Before  the  time  for  leaving,  the 


• 

301 


people  in  the  country  above  Sumter,  who  all  loved  the 
Joneses,  gave  a  barbecue  and  fish  fry  to  the  boys,  out  at 
Silver  Creek.  Buck  and  Preble  were  in  high  feather. 
After  the  delicious  dinner,  the  crowd  called  on  Major 
Jones  for  a  speech.  The  major  responded  and  made  a 
rousing  patriotic  speech  of  about  twenty  minutes.  They 
then  called  on  the  probate  judge  for  a  speech,  and  he  paid 
a  glowing  tribute  to  Sumter's  gallant  representative  in  the 
navy.  When  he  finished,  the  enthusiasm  over  Buck  was 
running  high.  Suddenly  some  one  called  out: 

"Buck  Jones!" 

It  was  taken  up  on  all  sides: 

"Buck!     Buck!     Speech!     Speech!" 

Buck  blushed  red  to  the  roots  of  his  hair.  His  heart 
pounded  hard  against  his  breast.  There  was  no  escape. 
He  rose. 

"  Friends  and  fellow  citizens.  A  naval  officer's  busi- 
ness is  to  fight,  not  to  talk."  (Applause.)  "If  you 
asked  me  to  climb  that  long-leaf  pine  I'd  go  up  it  wil- 
lingly " 

"  He  could  do  it,"  ejaculated  Preble  enthusiastically, 
and  the  crowd  roared. 

"  I'd  gladly  swim  the  length  of  the  mill  pond  for  you, 
but  make  a  speech  I  cannot."  (Great  applause.)  "  I  am 
very  glad  that  my  comrade  and  friend,  the  grandson  of  one 
of  the  greatest  officers  the  navy  has  ever  produced,  is  with 
us  to-day,  and  I  wish  to  thank  you  from  the  depths  of  my 
heart  for  your  kindness." 

"  Hurrah  for  Buck !  "  they  shouted,  as  Buck  sat  down. 

He  had  scarcely  taken  his  seat  when  some  one  called 
out: 

"  Preble !     Captain  Preble !     Speech !     Speech !  " 

Preble  turned  white,  then  red,  then  white  again. 

"  Captain  Preble !     Captain  Preble !  " 


302  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

The  cries  became  more  insistent.  Cold  perspiration 
began  to  stand  out  on  his  forehead.  He  wished  that  the 
earth  might  open  and  swallow  him.  Buck  took  him  by  the 
elbow  and  raised  him  to  his  feet,  and  supported  him  for  a 
minute  till  he  ceased  swaying  back  and  forth.  He  drew  a 
deep  breath  as  though  to  begin,  then  sighed,  then  drew 
another  deep  breath,  then  sighed  again.  His  agony  was 
becoming  painful,  when  he  finally  broke  forth : 

"  It's  no  use — I'm  much  obliged — but  I  can't  speak — 
they  don't  speak  in  my  country.  All  I  can  tell  you  is 
that  Buck  Jones  would  climb  that  tree  if  he  decided,  and 
he'd  swim  that  pond,  too.  You  can't  kill  him,  and  you 
can't  beat  him.  He's  true  to  the  death." 

Preble  stopped  abruptly  and  sat  down.  A  tumult  of 
applause  followed. 

"  Hurrah  for  Buck  and  Captain  Preble !  "  the  shout 
went  up. 

The  probate  judge  got  up  and  went  over  with  great 
dignity : 

"  My  congratulations,  Captain  Preble.  I  consider 
your  speech,  for  its  length,  the  best  effort  it  has  ever  been 
my  pleasure  to  listen  to." 

And  Major  Jones  came  over  and  congratulated  him, 
and  thanked  him  for  the  kind  words  about  his  boy,  and 
assured  him  that  Buck  reciprocated  all  his  feelings  of  con- 
fidence and  friendship.  The  country  people  crowded 
around  to  shake  his  hand. 

"  A  great  speech,  Captain.  We've  known  all  these 
things  about  Buck  since  he  was  a  little  shaver.  He'll 
show  them  more  things  up  there  yet." 

The  tall,  grizzly  justice  of  the  peace  delivered  himself 
of  these  remarks  with  much  importance. 

An  observant  politician,  who  had  been  looking  on, 
came  up  and  congratulated  Preble. 


BUCK  HAS   HIS   FIRST  COMMISSION  303 

"  You  told  them  exactly  what  they  wanted  to  hear, 
Captain.  The  people  down  here  literally  worship  that 
boy.  If  you  don't  make  him  admiral  up  there  we  are 
going  to  make  him  governor  of  Alabama,  or  anything  else 
he  wants  to  be." 

Preble  wrote  his  mother  a  long  letter  that  night,  de- 
scribing the  whole  thing. 

"  It  gave  me  a  new  insight  into  the  loyalty  and 
devotion  of  the  Southern  people.  And  now,  remem- 
ber, mother,  I  have  been  promoted — promoted  at  the 
hands  of  the  sovereign  people.  I  am  now  Captain 
Preble." 

In  Sumter  and  the  country  round  about,  Preble  was 
henceforward  known  as  Captain  Preble;  and  Preble's 
mother  could  not  refrain,  in  her  mother  pride,  from  telling 
wherever  she  went  of  her  son's  success  at  the  barbecue.  So 
at  the  Naval  Academy,  in  New  Hampshire,  and  every- 
where else,  Preble  from  that  hour  on  was  known  as  Cap- 
tain Preble. 

The  time  drew  near  for  them  to  leave.  Major  and 
Mrs.  Jones  wrote  with  them  to  Mrs.  Preble  asking  an 
extension,  but  she  had  perfected  all  her  plans  and  the  day 
was  fixed. 

The  Saturday  before  they  were  to  leave,  a  great  tour- 
nament was  given  in  their  honor,  and  knights  entered 
from  all  the  towns  for  forty  miles  around,  bearing  the 
colors  of  their  ladies.  Preble  was  not  accustomed  to  fast 
riding,  so  Buck  entered  as  his  champion. 

"  Enter  for  yourself,  Buck,"  Preble  protested. 

"  No.  I  have  no  lady  love  myself,  so  I  will  bear  your 
lance  with  ribbons  of  blue  and  white.  We'll  enter  as  the 
Knights  of  the  Navy." 

Preble  blushed  and  acquiesced.  Blue  and  white  were 
the  colors  of  the  young  lady,  the  third  of  the  summer,  that 


304  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Preble  had  lost  his  heart  to.  He  was  sure  this  was  the 
one. 

Buck  came  back  from  town  about  a  week  before  the 
tournament  and  looked  up  his  father,  who  was  out  in  the 
grove  with  Preble. 

"  Papa,  Garber  of  Marengo  has  entered.  He's  won  in 
five  tournaments  in  succession  this  summer,  and  he  boasts 
that  he  is  coming  to  Sumter  especially  to  dash  the  pride 
of  the  Knights  of  the  Navy.  I  think  I'd  better  ride 
Prince.  He's  so  sure." 

Major  Jones  readily  assented. 

Every  day,  for  the  last  week,  Buck  went  out  before 
breakfast  to  the  lists  in  Cherry  field,  and  practiced  on 
Prince.  The  other  local  knights  were  constantly  practic- 
ing, and  by  Thursday  visiting  knights  began  to  arrive  with 
their  mounts.  The  town  was  gay  with  visiting  young 
ladies  whose  colors  were  to  be  seen  in  the  lists.  By  Friday 
night  everything  was  ready.  The  grand  stand  was  all 
decorated  with  flowers  and  wreaths,  and  the  seats  of  honor 
were  allotted  to  the  young  ladies  whose  champions  were 
entered.  The  tables  were  constructed  under  the  great 
trees  and  the  pits  dug,  ready  for  the  charcoal  fires  to 
barbecue  the  fatted  ox  and  the  lambs  next  morning.  Fri- 
day night  a  reception  was  given  at  Wildwood  to  the  visit- 
ing knights  and  ladies,  the  great  ball  in  the  town  hall  being 
set  for  Saturday  night.  It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night, 
and  Wildwood  was  at  its  best,  with  the  six  great  white 
columns  casting  shadows  across  the  wide  -piazza,  where 
couples  were  promenading  back  and  forth.  Preble  had 
his  sweetheart  on  his  arm,  and  paused  at  the  end  of  the 
piazza,  and  looked  out  over  the  lawn,  through  the  great 
trees,  under  the  soft  light.  As  the  couple  stopped,  a 
mocking  bird,  on  its  nest  in  the  magnolia  tree  above,  began 
to  sing ;  the  song  was  a  little  subdued,  in  harmony  with  the 


BUCK  HAS  HIS  FIRST  COMMISSION  305 

moonlight,  but  so  sweet  and  clear  and  peaceful  and  joyous. 
Preble  pressed  his  sweetheart's  arm. 

"  Have  you  ever  seen  anything  so  beautiful — so  ro- 
mantic— so  intoxicating  ?  " 

"  It  is  very  beautiful,"  she  answered,  "  but  not  more 
beautiful,  I  fancy,  than  the  moonlight  on  the  ocean." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  Preble  would  have  declared  his 
love  but  for  the  interruption  of  the  belle  of  Tuscarora,  who 
came  up  on  the  arm  of  the  Knight  of  Marengo  to  say  good 
night. 

"  Let  the  blue  and  white  beware  of  the  crimson,"  was 
her  parting  warning. 

When  the  guests  had  parted,  Preble  went  over  to 
Buck. 

"  See  here,  Buck,  we  must  get  that  crown  to-morrow. 
The  crimson  was  flaunted  in  the  face  of  the  blue  and  white 
to-night.  Blue  and  white,  you  know,  are  part  of  the  navy 
colors." 

"  Yes,  and  they  are  the  colors  of  somebody  else,"  re- 
plied Buck  with  a  teasing  smile,  as  Preble  blushed.  "  I'll 
do  my  very  best,  Preble,  but  I  ought  to  have  had  twice  as 
much  practice.  Garber  was  brought  up  on  a  horse,  and 
they  have  a  strain  of  thoroughbreds  down  below  here. 
His  mount  is  the  equal  of  Prince,  and  younger — and  pos- 
sibly not  so  steady,"  Buck  added  slowly,  as  though  plan- 
ning his  strategy. 

When  the  trumpets  sounded  the  preliminary  blast  the 
next  day,  the  whole  town  and  countryside,  and  hundreds 
of  visitors  from  a  distance,  were  on  the  field.  The  grand 
stand  was  one  mass  of  white  and  colors ;  each  lady  had  the 
ribbons  of  her  knight.  In  the  seats  of  honor  the  crimson 
floated  out  alongside  the  blue  and  white. 

The  first  lot  fell  to  the  Knight  from  Marengo,  and  a 


306  BUCK  JONES   AT  ANNAPOLIS 

shout  went  up  when  he  rode  out  on  his  black  charger,  pois- 
ing his  lance,  with  its  crimson  streamer. 

"  It  makes  me  think  of  the  days  before  the  war," 
remarked  Colonel  Picket.  "  That  knight  looks  like  Pel- 
ham  when  he  came  here  for  a  tournament  in  the  summer 
of  '59." 

Horse  and  rider  seemed  as  one — proud  and  confident 
and  eager.  When  they  turned  upon  the  course  they 
seemed  to  be  shot  from  a  cannon.  The  lance,  in  rest, 
seemed  as  steady  as  if  nailed  to  a  wall.  Its  point  took  ring 
after  ring,  clean,  clear,  with  a  click,  down  to  the  last  one — 
a  perfect  joust,  in  record  time.  A  shout  went  up,  and 
cheeks  glowed  crimson  with  the  crimson  ribbon.  Five 
more  knights  made  their  initial  runs,  all  within  the  time 
limit,  two  of  whom  took  all  the  rings.  Buck  was  number 
seven.  He  appeared  at  the  call,  and  the  blue  and  white 
fluttered  with  high  expectation,  and  a  shout  went  up. 
Preble  felt  uneasy  at  the  appearance.  Both  Buck  and 
Prince  seemed  indifferent. 

"  That's  Buck's  way,"  remarked  Major  Jones,  in  an 
effort  to  quiet  Preble's  evident  anxiety. 

The  trumpet  sounded,  and  Buck  went  through  on  a 
good  run,  taking  all  the  rings ;  but  there  was  no  show,  and 
but  moderate  speed,  leaving  only  a  small  margin  of  time. 

"  A  tame  run,  compared  with  the  crimson,"  remarked 
a  citizen  from  Marengo  proudly. 

On  the  first  runs,  four  out  of  ten  of  the  knights  took 
all  the  rings;  all  came  within  the  time  limit.  On  the 
second  run  the  crimson  made  another  brilliant  record,  tak- 
ing all  the  rings,  but  dropping  a  little  in  speed.  Buck  was 
the  only  other  knight  to  take  all  the  rings.  He  made  a 
conservative  run,  at  a  little  higher  speed  than  on  the  first. 

On  the  third  run  the  crimson  was  again  brilliant,  tak- 
ing all  the  rings  and  going  through  at  high  speed.  His 


BUCK   HAS   HIS   FIRST  COMMISSION  307 

charger  was  white  with  foam,  but  again  dropped  a  little  in 
speed.  Buck  passed  through  and  took  all  the  rings,  and 
again  added  a  little  to  the  speed. 

The  trumpeter  sounded,  and  announced  in  the  name  of 
the  judges  that  the  contest  was  a  tie  between  the  Knight  of 
Marengo  and  the  Knights  of  the  Navy,  and  that,  by 
mutual  choice,  the  crimson  and  the  blue  and  white  would 
ride  it  off  forthwith. 

The  crimson  went  through  with  a  dash  and  took  all  the 
rings,  but  lost  a  little  more  time.  The  blue  and  white  fol- 
lowed, took  all  the  rings,  and  gained  a  little  more  time. 
There  was  now  no  time  for  the  grooms  to  rub  the  horses 
down  between  runs.  The  proud  black  charger  came  up 
blowing  hard,  started  well,  but  slackened  toward  the  end. 
For  the  first  time  its  rider  applied  the  spurs.  The  horse 
leaped  like  a  deer — the  lance  missed  the  next  ring.  All 
eyes  were  riveted  on  Buck  when  the  blue  and  white  start- 
ed. Prince  was  panting,  but  went  at  a  tremendous  speed. 
Just  before  the  last  ring,  Buck's  foot  slipped  the  stirrup. 
He  swayed — the  lance  missed. 

Still  a  tie. 

The  excitement  was  at  fever  heat.  Preble  noticed  the 
cheek  of  the  lady  with  the  crimson  turn  a  little  pale  as  her 
knight  appeared,  on  his  laboring  charger  necked  with 
foam,  nostrils  dilating  at  each  breath.  It  is  hard  on  a 
horse  to  go  through  the  list  three  times  on  a  hot  day,  with 
a  good  interval  between  each  run ;  but  the  black  had  gone 
five  times,  each  time  at  its  highest  speed,  with  no  interval 
of  rest  since  the  third  run.  It  started  off  at  its  best,  only 
to  slacken.  The  spurs  caused  a  spurt,  only  to  be  followed 
by  a  slackening.  Another  spurt — a  quicker  slackening. 
The  pace  became  ragged.  The  crimson  knight  missed 
two  rings.  He  mercifully  refrained  from  applying  the 
spurs,  toward  the  end.  The  time  fell  below  the  limit. 


308  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Can  the  bay  go  through  again  ?  "  was  the  eager  ques- 
tion, as  Buck  appeared  with  Prince  panting  and  covered 
with  foam,  but  alert  to  his  rider's  every  wish.  Prince  was 
guided  by  the  neck,  and  Buck  held  a  light  rein,  only  pull- 
ing enough  to  steady  him  in  speed. 

Buck  leaned  forward,  patted  Prince  on  the  neck, 
turned,  leveled  his  lance,  and  went  through  like  a  shot, 
taking  each  ring  with  a  clear,  clean  click.  It  was  his  best 
run.  When  the  last  ring  slid  over  the  point,  a  deafening 
shout  went  up.  All  the  knights  gathered  on  their  chargers, 
lances  in  hand,  in  front  of  the  grand  stand,  the  panting 
black,  with  the  crimson  knight,  at  their  head.  The  trum- 
pet sounded.  The  proud  bay,  though  reeking,  came  forth 
prancing.  Its  knight  bore  a  wreath  on  the  point  of  his 
lance.  Through  the  lines  of  the  others  he  rode,  and  de- 
posited the  wreath  at  the  feet  of  the  lady  in  the  center. 

"  The  Knights  of  the  Navy,  in  homage  to  the  blue  and 
the  white." 

At  the  great  ball  that  night,  Preble,  by  the  right  of 
victory,  crowned  his  sweetheart  "  Queen  of  Love  and 
Beauty." 

Buck  and  Preble  had  four  vigorous  and  happy  weeks 
in  the  White  Mountains,  fishing,  swimming  and  tramping. 
Buck  became  very  fond  of  mountain  climbing.  It  was 
something  like  the  sea,  he  thought,  it  lifted  one  up  and 
made  him  think. 

The  last  week  of  their  leave  they  spent  with  a  guide  far 
up  in  the  forests,  near  the  Canadian  border,  and  over  in 
the  State  of  Maine,  looking  for  big  game.  It  was  the  first 
time  Buck  had  ever  had  a  good  chance  at  big  game,  and  it 
was  a  thrilling  experience.  He  persevered  after  Preble 
and  the  guide  had  stopped  to  camp,  one  day  when  they 
were  on  the  trail,  and  was  rewarded  by  getting  a  big  bull 


BUCK   HAS   HIS  FIRST  COMMISSION  309 

moose — the  biggest  that  was  killed  that  season.  He 
barely  escaped  being  gored  by  the  animal  after  it  was 
wounded.  Only  his  presence  of  mind  saved  him ;  he  put 
the  final  bullet  through  its  eye  at  barely  five  paces,  and 
stepped  aside  as  the  great  animal  passed  beyond  and  fell. 

Buck  presented  this  moose  head,  and  Preble  presented 
a  beautiful  pair  of  antlers,  to  the  Officers'  Club  at 
Annapolis. 

Buck  and  Preble  reported  at  the  Academy  September 
30th,  all  bronzed,  looking  the  picture  of  vigorous,  robust 
health. 


CHAPTEE   XXI 

BUCK  RETURNS  TO  ANNAPOLIS   TO  NEW  DUTIES 

THEY  found  that  they  had  been  assigned  to  the  third 
division,  with  a  room  on  the  third  floor  of  the  New 
Quarters.  By  supper  formation,  all  the  cadets, 
except  a  few  on  sick  leave,  had  returned.  It  was  a  great 
pleasure  for  Buck  and  Preble  to  go  up  and  down  the  cor- 
ridor, where  the  trunks  were  still  piled,  and  into  the 
rooms,  saying  "  How  d'y'  do? "  to  their  classmates  as  they 
stored  their  things  away.  There  was  all  the  news  of  the 
diverging  cruises  to  exchange,  and  each  one  had  individual 
experiences  to  tell.  Buck  found  great  pleasure  in  seeing 
the  upper  classmen,  too,  and  felt  very  cordially  even  to- 
ward those  who  had  hazed  him  the  worst. 

"  They  are  all  fine  fellows.  The  mean  ones  were 
bilged,"  he  said  to  Preble. 

There  was  very  little  hazing  of  the  new  plebes.  The 
court-martial  and  congressional  investigation  of  the  spring 
had  taken  the  impetus  out  of  this  practice. 

There  was  no  call  to  study  hours  that  first  night,  and 
after  supper,  when  their  things  were  all  in  place,  Buck  and 
Preble  went  down  to  the  Old  Quarters  to  see  the  first 
division.  There  they  found  their  classmates  all  gathered 
in  Pikeman's  room.  Buck  was  so  glad  to  see  everybody, 
he  didn't  notice  the  coldness  of  Pikeman  and  Ninman  and 
many  others. 

"  Well,  Jones,  you  had  your  old  luck  this  cruise,  and 
310 


BUCK  RETURNS  TO   ANNAPOLIS  311 

from  the  way  you  got  into  print  I  suppose  you  saved  the 
ship  a  dozen  times  or  so." 

In  his  simple,  warm-hearted  confidence  in  everybody, 
Buck  failed  to  notice  the  sarcasm  in  Pikeman' s  voice  and 
the  smile  that  went  the  rounds. 

"  We  didn't  have  much  of  a  cruise,  and  it  was  very 
hot ;  but  Preble  and  I  got  ahead  of  you  all  on  the  matter  of 
leave — we've  had  nearly  two  months  and  a  half." 

The  next  day  was  Saturday,  and  Buck  inaugurated  his 
study  routine  by  preparing  his  Monday  recitations  Satur- 
day afternoon.  After  supper  his  class  had  a  meeting  at 
which  Pikeman  was  again  elected  president,  and  his  lieu- 
tenants were  elected  committeemen.  Catell  and  Knowl- 
ton  came  away  holding  Preble's  arm. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  anything  so  cut  and  dried  ?  Worse 
than  any  convention  that  ever  was  run  by  any  political 
machine,"  remarked  Preble. 

"  Yes,  and  they  have  a  conspiracy  against  Jones. 
During  the  cruise,  Pikeman  had  the  class  all  to  himself, 
and  he  was  poisoning  every  man  he  could  against  Jones," 
said  Knowlton. 

"  The  whole  purpose  of  class  spirit  is  being  perverted. 
The  meanest  men  are  the  ones  getting  control,"  observed 
Catell. 

But  Buck  was  too  busy  to  pay  much  attention  to  this 
drift  of  things.  While  he  was  delighted  with  the  new 
studies  of  trigonometry  and  physics  and  chemistry,  other- 
wise known  as  "  skinney,"  he  found  endless  trouble  with 
mechanical  drawing.  It  was  not  a  matter  of  imaginative 
power,  for  he  excelled  in  descriptive  geometry,  but  it  was 
the  slow,  mechanical  execution.  Though  he  gave  extra 
time  to  it,  as  he  had  done  to  French  the  year  before,  the 
best  he  could  do  for  the  month  was  a  2.9 ;  while  he  stood 
second  in  skinney,  second  in  math  and  third  in  English 


312  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

and  French,  he  stood  only  fourth  in  his  class,  on  account 
of  mechanical  drawing.  Huff  again  stood  first  in  every- 
thing but  mechanical  drawing,  and  stood  near  the  top  in 
that.  Rix  stood  near  the  top  in  everything,  including 
mechanical  drawing,  which  put  him  second  in  the  class; 
and  Twisting,  with  a  high  mark  in  mechanical  drawing 
and  in  everything  else,  stood  third.  Buck  was  greatly 
concerned,  realizing  that  mechanical  drawing  would  con- 
tinue all  the  year,  and  that  it  had  a  large  multiple ;  so  he 
redoubled  his  efforts,  making  his  regime  even  more  rigid 
than  for  the  year  before. 

He  was  greatly  concerned,  too,  at  the  low  marks  Preble 
made  in  trigonometry  and  skinney,  especially  on  the  ex- 
aminations, and  he  began  to  set  aside  an  hour  each  day  in 
which  to  coach  Preble.  This  made  a  heavy  drain  upon 
his  available  time.  The  result  was  that,  in  spite  of  all  he 
could  do  for  the  second  month,  though  he  stood  first  in 
math,  he  stood  only  fourth  in  the  class ;  and  Preble  seemed 
to  lose  heart  when  he  again  went  all  to  pieces  on  the  math 
and  skinney  exams,  so  that  in  the  former  he  came  out  un- 
satisfactory for  the  month.  This  only  made  Buck  spur 
him  on  the  more  and  give  more  of  his  time  to  coaching 
him.  He  even  prevailed  on  Preble  to  stay  with  him 
Christmas  Day  to  study  for  the  trig  exam  the  day 
after. 

"  Billy  "  Kendricks,  the  head  of  the  department,  had 
a  way  of  testing  the  mettle  of  each  class  in  turn.  On  this 
exam  he  gave  five  regular  questions  and  a  sixth  question; 
the  cadet  could  take  his  choice  of  the  five  or  of  the  sixth, 
and  if  he  tried  all  he  would  get  the  credit.  Two  days 
after  the  examination,  the  whole  academy  was  astonished 
to  learn  that  Buck  had  done  the  first  five  and  then  the 
sixth,  and  made  a  4  on  each,  giving  him  an  8,  or  twice  per- 
fect on  the  examination,  while  even  "  Wooden  "  Preble 


BUCK  RETURNS  TO   ANNAPOLIS  313 

had  made  a  good  showing  on  the  sixth  and,  though  falling 
down  on  the  five,  had  a  3.45  for  the  examination. 

"  That  will  carry  him  across  the  semi-an,"  said  Catell 
to  Buck,  as  he  came  up  to  congratulate  him. 

There  had  never  been  such  a  record  on  an  examination 
in  the  annals  of  the  academy.  The  sixth  question  is  so 
designed  as  to  be  sure  to  require  at  least  the  whole  of  the 
time  for  its  solution ;  but  Buck,  on  Christmas,  had  discov- 
ered a  short  cut,  by  the  use  of  a  new  formula,  and  had 
taught  it  to  Preble.  This  formula  became  known  as 
"  Jones's  formula,"  and  soon  took  the  place  of  the  other 
solution. 

Standing  first  in  math,  with  such  a  lead,  was  a  satis- 
faction to  Buck ;  but  his  work  in  mechanical  drawing  was 
so  low  that  he  stood  only  third  in  the  class. 

He  applied  himself  yet  more  rigidly.  The  grind  was 
so  great  that  Preble  marveled. 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  keep  at  it  so,  Buck.  I'm 
sick  of  it  all,  though  I  don't  stay  down  to  it  half  as  closely 
as  you  do.  Life  is  not  worth  living  with  such  a  continual, 
unending  grind." 

But  Buck  never  let  up.  The  regime  took  away  his 
opportunity  for  athletics,  and  he  even  gave  up  looking  on 
at  the  first  half  of  the  great  football  games. 

"  Not  until  I  stand  first,"  he  would  repeat  to  himself. 

The  most  enjoyable  recreation  he  had  was  the  fencing. 
He  took  a  fancy  to  it  from  the  start.  He  liked  single 
sticks,  bayonet  exercises,  and  broadsword ;  but  his  favorite 
was  the  foil,  or  small  sword.  He  never  took  special  les- 
sons, not  being  willing  to  give  the  time ;  but  showed  such 
aptitude  that,  taking  only  the  regular  lessons,  Corbezier 
soon  rated  him  the  first  of  his  class,  and  in  a  few  months 
the  first  in  the  Academy.  He  was  the  only  cadet  who  had 

ever  given  Corbezier  a  "  touche,"  and  he  had  given  him 
21 


314  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

three  before  the  indoor  drills  were  over.  They  begged 
him  to  go  on  to  the  intercollegiate  fencing  tournament  at 
New  York,  but  he  refused. 

"  After  I  stand  first,"  he  said  to  himself. 

As  third  classmen,  Buck's  classmates  began  to  take  an 
increasing  part  in  the  social  life  of  the  academy,  most  of 
them  going  to  the  hops  regularly.  Before  the  New  Year's 
ball,  Preble  had  fallen  in  love  with  a  girl  from  Baltimore, 
and  Buck  threatened  to  write  to  the  lady  of  the  blue  and 
the  white. 

"  Skinny  "  Minerson,  one  of  the  smallest  members  of 
the  class,  became  devoted  to  the  "  Scottish  Lassie,"  who 
must  have  been  at  least  six  feet  two  in  her  stocking  feet. 
Preble  was  urging  Buck  to  come  down  to  the  semiannual 
ball. 

"  I'll  give  you  two  dances  with  the  sweetest  girl  there, 
and  then  you  can  see  Minerson  and  the  Scottish  Lassie  try 
the  two-step.  It's  worth  a  year  of  your  life." 

"  The  inducements  are  certainly  great,"  Buck  admit- 
ted, but  he  shook  his  head.  "  After  I  stand  first." 

On  the  semiannual  examinations  Buck  made  the  high- 
est marks,  but  his  work  in  mechanical  drawing  was  so  low 
that  he  barely  stood  third  in  the  class  for  the  term. 
Preble  had  become  so  occupied  and  preoccupied  with  the 
girl  from  Baltimore  that,  in  spite  of  all  Buck's  efforts  and 
special  coaching,  he  went  to  pieces  on  the  examinations 
and  came  out  for  the  term  unsatisfactory  in  trigonometry, 
and  with  but  a  small  margin  in  skinney. 

"  Preble,"  said  Buck  with  great  anxiety,  "  they'll 
doubtless  carry  you  on  till  June ;  but  you'll  have  to  take  a 
brace.  You'd  better  cut  out  *  spooning  '  altogether." 

"  You  are  right,  Buck ;  but  I  couldn't  live  without  see- 
ing the  girl  from  Baltimore."  Preble  spoke  with  con- 
viction. 


BUCK  RETURNS  TO  ANNAPOLIS  315 

"  She's  the  fifth  one,  to  my  knowledge,  you  couldn't 
live  without."  Buck's  voice  had  no  sympathy. 

Preble  admitted  the  fact,  and  agreed  with  Buck  that 
he  would  join  him  for  putting  in  more  time  on  trig  and  in 
the  chemical  laboratory,  where  Preble's  work  was  espe- 
cially weak. 

Almost  immediately  after  Buck's  lecture  to  Preble 
about  "  spooning,"  he  became  involved  in  a  "  spooning  " 
scrape  himself. 

Miss  Minnie  Simpkins  had  been  down  to  a  Saturday 
afternoon  tea  on  the  Santee,  given  by  the  captain's  wife, 
and  had  hired  one  of  the  Annapolis  hacks.  It  is  not 
known  which  was  the  older,  the  hack  or  the  spinster.  It  is 
said  that  those  old  hacks  were  some  used  in  Colonial  days. 
Certain  it  is  they  antedated  the  Civil  War,  for  nothing 
like  them  has  been  constructed  since  the  war.  Gossip  said 
that  Miss  Simpkins  made  her  debut  yearly  for  the  first 
fifteeen  years  of  the  Academy's  existence,  after  it  was 
moved  from  Newport,  and  that  the  Superintendent  before 
Bumsey  had  been  engaged  to  her,  when  he  was  a  cadet 
thirty-five  years  before.  This,  perhaps,  justified  Miss 
Simpkins  in  being  somewhat  shrunken  and  in  being  so 
prim  and  kittenish — and  partial  to  cadets,  particularly  the 
young  ones.  She  could  not  understand  why  the  dear 
plebes  were  not  allowed  to  go  to  teas  and  hops.  At  the 
Santee  tea,  she  made  little  Billerson's  heart  flutter  several 
times,  and  he  came  near  being  late  for  formation.  She 
was  feeling  particularly  content  with  the  afternoon's  con- 
quest as  her  hack  turned  the  corner  at  the  Steam  Building 
and  started  up  Maryland  Avenue,  where  the  cadets  were 
lounging  on  the  seats  waiting  for  supper  formation.  Even 
the  din  and  jolting  from  the  cobblestones  failed  to  per- 
turb her  equanimity,  except  that  she  decided  to  reduce  the 
jolting  by  bearing  part  of  her  weight  on  her  feet.  This 


316  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

was  a  fatal  decision,  for  without  warning  the  floor  fell 
through  and  she  found  herself  running  along  the  cobbles, 
with  her  skirts  up  in  the  hack.  Her  tongue  clave  to  the 
roof  of  her  mouth.  The  feeble  articulations  were  lost  in 
the  din.  An  Annapolis  team  trots  slowly,  but  to  her  it 
seemed  to  run.  She  saw  the  tumult  among  the  cadets. 
She  tried  to  scream.  Then  she  tried  to  hide  her  face  in  her 
hands.  At  that  instant,  like  a  flash,  rescue  came.  A 
manly  figure  in  uniform  dashed  by  and  stopped  the  driver, 
then  threw  open  the  door,  bowed  low,  and  offered  his  hand 
to  assist.  It  was  all  too  overpowering.  As  she  stepped  up 
through  the  floor  and  put  her  foot  upon  the  ledge  and  took 
the  proffered  hand,  her  spinster  heart  could  bear  no  more. 
She  swooned  away  and  fell  upon  the  manly  breast  of  her 
rescuer,  her  head  resting  upon  his  shoulder.  It  was  luck- 
less Buck.  He  and  Preble  had  been  coming  up  from  the 
chemical  laboratory,  and  as  they  turned  into  Maryland 
Avenue  they  saw  the  strange  spectacle  of  a  pair  of  long 
thin  legs  in  baby  blue  stockings  and  slippers  twinkling 
under  a  hack.  They  both  dashed  to  the  rescue,  but  as 
soon  as  Preble  saw  who  it  was,  and  saw  the  laughter  of  the 
cadets  ahead,  he  stopped  and  almost  split  his  sides;  but 
Buck  rushed  on.  He  heard  voices  saying : 

"  Jones  to  the  rescue." 

"  I'll  bet  on  Jones." 

But  he  paid  no  heed.  When  the  fair  spinster  swooned 
into  his  arms,  he  gallantly  bore  her  to  the  seats,  amid  the 
suffocated  shrieks  of  the  battalion. 

Coming  out  from  supper  formation,  Preble  asked 
Buck  if  the  engagement  would  be  announced  forthwith. 
When  the  gun  fired  that  night,  Preble  turned  to  Buck 
with  a  solemn  look  on  his  face. 

"  Jones,  you'll  have  to  take  a  brace.  You'd  better  cut 
out  '  spooning  '  altogether." 


BUCK  RETURNS  TO   ANNAPOLIS  317 

In  the  chemistry  course,  the  third  class  reached  the 
composition  and  manufacture  of  explosives  early  in  the 
spring.  Buck  was  particularly  interested  in  high  explo- 
sives. Their  terrific,  irresistible  power  had  a  peculiar 
fascination  for  him.  He  made  the  regular  experiments 
with  the  rest  of  the  class,  but  in  addition  he  and  Preble 
went  down  Saturday  afternoon  to  do  extra  work.  Preble 
had  become  frightened  at  the  prospect  of  bilging  in  June, 
and  Buck  had  actually  prevailed  on  him  to  give  up  wit- 
nessing the  first  boat  race  to  come  to  the  laboratory. 

During  the  spring  months  it  was  hard  work  for  Buck 
to  keep  up  his  rigid  regime  of  study,  particularly  when  it 
became  clear  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  stand  first 
for  the  year;  and  it  was  still  harder  to  keep  Preble  at 
work,  but  Buck  was  unrelenting.  He  put  in  all  the  time, 
according  to  schedule,  and  gave  about  an  hour  and  a  half 
per  day  to  coaching  Preble.  It  looked  fairly  hopeful  for 
Preble  to  pull  through,  provided  he  held  his  own  on  the 
annual  examinations,  and  Buck  gave  up  to  him  more  and 
more  of  the  time  he  held  so  valuable.  It  was  all  to  no 
avail.  About  a  week  before  the  annual  examinations, 
both  the  girl  from  Baltimore  and  Preble's  mother  came 
and  camped  out  at  Annapolis,  in  anticipation  of  gradu- 
ation week.  Mrs.  Preble  continually  urged  Preble  to 
study  hard  and  stick  to  his  work,  but  as  frequently  had 
him  out  in  town  for  dinner ;  her  presence  started  the  de- 
moralization that  the  sweetheart  completed. 

Preble  went  all  to  pieces  on  the  math  and  skinney 
exams,  and  came  out  hopelessly  unsatisfactory  for  the 
year.  His  mother  wanted  to  go  to  Washington  to  try  to 
get  him  reinstated,  or- turned  back  again;  but  he  knew,  and 
Buck  knew,  that  the  case  was  hopeless. 

On  Saturday  afternoon,  when  the  marks  were  posted, 
Buck  looked  for  Preble's  first.  When  he  saw  them,  he 


318  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

turned  away  from  the  bulletin  board  and  went  to  his  room. 
The  chagrin  and  sorrow  were  so  deep  in  his  heart  that  he 
forgot  his  own  marks — forgot  about  everything.  When 
Preble  came  in,  he  found  Buck  lying  on  the  bed,  with  his 
hands  under  his  head,  looking  up  at  the  ceiling.  Buck 
had  been  so  busy,  and  kept  so  close  to  his  room  during  the 
two  years,  that  the  storehouse  of  affection  that  would 
otherwise  have  gone  out  to  many,  had  become  concen- 
trated upon  one — and  that  one  was  now  to  leave.  Life 
began  to  appear  empty ;  even  a  great  naval  career  seemed 
vain. 

Preble  forgot  his  own  chagrin  and  disappointment 
when  he  saw  the  depths  of  sadness  depicted  on  Buck's 
face. 

"  It  was  no  use,  Buck.  It  wasn't  in  me.  I've  been 
brought  up  wrong.  I'd  give  everything  else  in  the  world 
to  serve  in  the  Navy  all  my  life;  but  I  simply  can't  get 
through  the  Academy." 

Buck  said  nothing.  Preble  went  out  and  sought  his 
sweetheart,  and  buried  his  sorrow  in  her  smiles.  Buck  lay 
for  an  hour  looking  up  at  the  ceiling ;  then  he  walked  over 
to  the  government  farm.  But  no  comfort  came.  At  sup- 
per he  scarcely  spoke  a  word.  An  irresistible  impulse 
came  over  him  to  do  something  to  drown  his  sorrow.  On 
the  way  to  his  room,  he  found  Henderson  and  Knowlton  in 
the  corridor  having  fun  with  the  whistle  they  had  mis- 
chievously taken  from  the  speaking  tube  that  led  from  the 
third  floor  down  to  the  officer-in-charge's  office.  Search 
had  been  made  for  two  days  to  find  the  whistle  and  catch 
the  offender.  Knowlton  had  a  most  winning  personality, 
and  Buck  liked  him  very  much. 

"  See  here,  Jones.  I  dare  you  to  put  the  whistle  on 
the  tube  and  call  up  the  officer-in-charge." 

Buck  laughed  and  took  the  whistle,  screwed  it  on,  and 


BUCK   RETURNS  TO   ANNAPOLIS  319 

blew  a  loud  whistle  below.  The  officer-in-charge  promptly 
answered  back: 

"Hello!" 

Buck  was  a  little  puzzled,  and  repeated: 

"Hello!" 

Then  the  officer-in-charge  asked: 

"Who  are  you?" 

"  I  am  the  whistle,  and  wish  to  report  my  return." 

He  heard  the  chair  turn  over  down  in  the  office,  but 
waited  no  longer.  Officer-in-charge,  officer  of  the  day, 
and  orderly  all  came  rushing  up  the  stairs,  and  Buck  and 
his  crowd  scurried  to  their  rooms.  Not  a  soul  was  visible 
in  the  corridor  when  the  officials  arrived;  but  there  was 
the  whistle. 

In  beating  his  retreat,  Buck  took  refuge  in  Knowlton's 
room.  Knowlton  was  always  full  of  mischief,  and  when 
the  whistle  excitement  had  subsided  he  took  from  his 
wardrobe  drawer  a  large  flag,  made  of  three  quarters  of  a 
bed  sheet,  all  painted  black,  with  skull  and  crossbones. 

"  I've  got  this  for  the  flag  pole.  Let's  hoist  it  to- 
night, and  it  will  be  there  in  the  morning.  We'll  pass  the 
word  that  the  Oyster  Pirates  have  captured  the  Naval 
Academy." 

Buck  was  electrified.  Soon  he  was  deep  in  the  con- 
spiracy. 

"  The  watchman  will  see  it  early  in  the  morning,  and 
lower  it  before  anybody  else  sees  it.  We'll  have  to  nail  it 
up."  He  meditated  for  a  while.  "  Then  they  will  proba- 
bly get  one  of  the  seamen  on  the  Santee  to  shin  up  for  it 
We'll  have  to  do  better  than  that." 

Buck's  imagination  was  fired.  Soon  his  whole  mind 
was  concentrated  on  the  capture  of  the  Academy  by  the 
pirates.  He  suddenly  recalled  the  skeleton  used  in  the 
lectures  on  physiology. 


320  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I'll  fix  it  so  no  seaman  will  shin  up." 

He  soon  perfected  his  plans.  Knowlton  and  Hender- 
son aided.  They  slipped  down  the  end  stairway.  Buck 
climbed  up  the  trellis  work  on  the  hospital,  raised  the  win- 
dow with  the  dexterity  of  a  professional  burglar,  secured 
the  big  skeleton  in  the  surgeon's  anteroom,  and  lowered  it 
to  Knowlton. 

The  night  was  dark.  The  conspirators  began  to  feel 
uncanny  with  the  skeleton.  Knowlton,  who  was  holding 
it  up  by  the  ring  from  the  skull,  intimated  that  it  would 
be  best  to  return  the  skeleton  and  try  some  other  way. 

"  The  orderly  or  the  watchman  is  sure  to  catch  us." 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  Buck,  with  determination.  "  I'll 
look  out  for  the  skeleton.  Go  up  to  my  room  and  get  a 
sheet  and  bring  it  down.  Take  my  shoes  up."  Buck  took 
off  his  shoes. 

Knowlton  brought  the  sheet,  and  the  three  rigged  it 
up  around  Buck  and  the  skeleton.  Buck  was  already 
familiar  with  the  skeleton,  from  the  Friday-night  lectures 
in  physiology  and  hygiene.  He  stood  behind  and  kept  it 
upright  by  the  ring. 

"  I'll  fix  up  the  jaw  for  an  emergency." 

In  a  little  while  they  had  the  apparition  completed, 
with  the  head  arranged  so  that,  with  the  hand  not  em- 
ployed holding  it  up,  Buck  could  slide  the  hood  back  and 
drop  the  jaw.  To  the  astonishment  of  his  accomplices,  he 
announced  that  he  would  try  it  on  the  orderly. 

"  I'll  come  up  from  the  rear.  Get  where  you  can 
watch  the  fun." 

He  had  a  little  difficulty  in  making  the  apparition 
glide  as  he  liked,  but  soon  he  became  expert.  After  re- 
hearsing, he  learned  to  work  the  hood  and  jaw  with  pre- 
cision. 

Knowlton  and  Henderson  slipped  around  the  building, 


BUCK  RETURNS  TO   ANNAPOLIS  321 

and  stood  concealed  behind  a  tree,  where  they  could  see 
the  orderly  walking  up  and  down  on  the  piazza  in  front  of 
the  entrance.  Soon  they  saw  a  figure  in  white  appear,  at 
the  other  end  of  the  building,  close  up  to  the  side.  As  the 
orderly  turned  his  back  to  walk  in  the  other  direction,  it 
would  glide  along  and  stop.  It  drew  up  to  within  twenty 
or  thirty  yards,  undetected,  then  stepped  out  in  full  view 
against  the  background  of  the  night.  There  was  a  dead 
stillness.  The  orderly  turned  and  walked  a  step,  then 
halted,  rubbed  his  eyes,  took  another  step,  and  stopped,  his 
knees  shaking.  The  hood  slightly  opened,  the  outline  of 
the  eye  sockets  and  nose  pit  appeared.  With  a  shriek  the 
orderly  dashed  into  the  hall  and  into  the  office  of  the  offi- 
cer-in-charge. 

"  A  ghost,  sir !     A  ghost !  " 

He  was  white  with  terror,  trembling  from  head  to  foot. 
The  ghost  glided  back,  and  was  out  of  sight  around  the  end 
of  the  building  when  the  officer  came  out  to  examine. 

"  It's  your  imagination,  orderly.  You  are  probably 
wrought  up  by  the  ghostly  tales  of  the  Oyster  Pirates." 

Knowlton  and  Henderson  ran  around  the  other  way 
and  joined  Buck. 

"  It  works  like  magic.  I  was  frightened  myself," 
said  Knowlton. 

"  So  was  I,"  added  Henderson.  "  A  little  more  and 
we  would  have  run  ourselves." 

"  Get  your  flag,  a  hammer  and  nails,  and  meet  me  be- 
hind the  band  stand.  We've  got  to  handle  the  night 
watchman  at  the  Superintendent's  house." 

"  Be  careful,  Buck.     He's  not  afraid  of  the  devil." 

Buck  glided  along  the  rows  of  trees  and  reached  the 
band  stand  unobserved.  The  others  had  not  arrived.  He 
decided  the  old  Japanese  bell  was  a  better  location,  and 
took  his  stand  there.  Soon  he  heard  Knowlton's  whistle, 


322  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

and  answered  back.  He  waited  probably  fifteen  minutes, 
when  he  discovered  the  watchman  coming  up  from  Porter 
row.  Buck  kept  behind  the  pillars  of  the  belfry.  The 
watchman  turned  in  front  of  the  Superintendent's  house, 
and  came  straight  down  the  walk  that  passed  close  to  the 
bell.  He  must  have  been  absorbed,  for  he  noticed  nothing 
until  suddenly  the  ghost  stood  within  five  or  six  paces. 
Against  the  night,  it  looked  seven  or  eight  feet  tall.  The 
watchman  stopped,  petrified.  The  country  round  about 
was  full  of  ghost  stories.  Stanly  had  scoffed  at  them ;  but, 
accustomed  to  the  night  as  he  was,  he  felt  shaky  when  this 
strange,  white  object  seemed  to  rise  out  of  the  ground. 
Stanly  was  an  old  soldier,  distinguished  for  his  courage 
and  nerve,  but  there  was  a  tremor  in  his  voice  when  he 
challenged : 

"  Who  goes  there  ?  " 

No  answer.     A  deathlike  silence  followed. 

"  I  ask  who  goes  there  ?  "  His  voice  quivered,  but  his 
hand  went  to  his  hip  pocket,  and  he  held  his  ground. 

Another  terrifying  silence. 

"  A  third  time,  I  demand  who  goes  there  ?  "  He  drew 
his  revolver. 

The  hood  opened.  His  hand  was  palsied.  The  jaw 
dropped.  The  revolver  fell  to  the  ground.  For  the  first 
time  in  his  life,  Stanly  ran  away  from  a  foe,  and  made  for 
the  post.  He  ran  like  a  deer,  and  never  looked  behind. 
Knowlton  and  Henderson  rolled  on  the  ground  with  laugh- 
ter. There  was  no  danger  of  interruption  now.  Buck 
shinned  up  to  the  top  of  the  flag  pole.  It  was  hard  work 
getting  to  the  lower  pole  landing,  about  eighty  feet  up,  and 
harder  work  still  getting  up  the  upper  pole,  seventy  feet 
higher;  but  Buck  made  it.  '  The  two  on  the  ground  used 
the  signal  halyards  to  hoist  the  flag,  and  hammer  and 
nails ;  and  Buck  nailed  the  great  black  flag,  with  skull  and 


BUCK  RETURNS  TO  ANNAPOLIS  323 

crossbones,  at  the  top.  [Next  thing  they  hoisted  the  skele- 
ton, all  wrapped  in  the  sheet,  tied  with  yarn  so  as  to  show 
the  skull  and  neck  down  to  the  shoulders.  Buck  cut  off 
the  halyards  and  secured  the  skeleton  so  as  to  hang  just 
below  the  flag. 

"  The  pirates  have  captured  the  ]^aval  Academy,"  he 
remarked,  as  he  reached  the  ground.  "  It  only  remains 
for  them  to  issue  their  proclamation  to  the  world." 

They  went  back  to  Buck's  room. 

"  Go  and  see  Jerry.  Tell  him  to  come  here  as  soon  as 
he  is  through  for  the  night." 

The  9.30  gun  had  fired  as  Buck  was  shinning  down  the 
pole.  It  was  nearly  taps  when  Buck  handed  three  tele- 
grams to  Jerry,  the  colored  hall  boy. 

"  Take  these  to  the  depot  telegraph  agent.  .Here's  the 
exact  change.  Deposit  them,  and  leave  at  once.  Answer 
no  questions.  If  you  ever  tell  who  sent  you,  I  know  a  big 
ghost  that  will  catch  you." 

The  telegrams  were  identical,  and  were  directed  to  the 
Baltimore  Sun,  the  Washington  Post,  and  the  Norfolk 
Landmark.  They  read  as  follows: 

"  You  may  announce  that  we  have  captured  Annapolis, 
and  the  black  flag,  skull  and  crossbones,  now  float  over  the 
Xaval  Academy. 

(Signed)  "  The  Oyster  Pirates." 

As  these  daring  marauders  had  been  committing  depre- 
dations up  and  down  the  bay  and  had  recently  disappeared 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mouth  of  the  Severn,  a  great 
sensation  was  produced  at  the  newspaper  offices.  They 
printed  the  telegram  with  reservations,  saying  they  had 
dispatched  special  agents  to  the  scene.  The  Baltimore 
Sun  got  their  man  off  on  a  special  locomotive.  It  ap- 


324  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

preached  Annapolis  a  little  after  sun-up.  Through  his 
glasses,  the  correspondent  saw  the  black  flag  in  the  dis- 
tance. And  what  is  that  object  hanging  beneath?  He 
sat  down  at  the  station  and  sent  a  five-hundred-word  mes- 
sage, and  the  Baltimore  Sun  got  out  an  extra. 

"  The  most  daring  piracy  in  modern  times.  The 
Black  Flag  floats  over  the  Xaval  Academy.  The  body  of 
the  Superintendent  hangs  below  it,  etc.,  etc." 

There  was  the  greatest  commotion  the  next  morning. 
The  Commandant  and  Superintendent  were  in  constant 
consultation.  Everybody  in  the  Academy,  including  the 
Board  of  Visitors  and  streams  of  people  from  out  of  town, 
were  down  looking  at  the  remarkable  sight. 

One  seaman  after  another  was  brought  up  to  shin  up, 
but  each  one,  upon  seeing  the  grewsome  skeleton,  shook  his 
head. 

On  the  way  to  church,  the  battalion  marched  under  it. 
Telegrams  began  to  pour  in  from  all  over  the  country. 

"  Is  the  black  flag  really  floating  over  the  Academy  ?  " 
most  of  them  ran. 

The  Superintendent  became  desperate.  At  dinner  for- 
mation an  order  from  the  Superintendent  was  published, 
offering  immunity  to  the  cadet  who  perpetrated  the  deed, 
on  condition  that  he  would  volunteer  to  get  it  down.  On 
the  way  in,  Buck  fell  out  of  ranks  and  reported  to  the 
officer- in-charge. 

"  I'll  volunteer  to  get  it  down." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  the  officer-in-charge. 
"  I'll  report  your  offer  to  the  Commandant." 

The  sensation  of  graduation  week  came  'when  Buck 
shinned  up  the  one-hundred-and-fifty-foot  flag  pole,  after 
dinner,  and  brought  down  the  black  flag  and  skeleton,  in 
the  presence  of  five  thousand  spectators. 


CHAPTER    XXII 

BUCK  IS  "  PUT  IN  COVENTBY  "  AND  WINS  OUT 

ALL  during  graduation  week  Buck  tried  to  drown  his 
sorrow  at  Preble's  bilging.     Finally  he  went  to 
the  June  ball  and  danced  till  daybreak.     But  it 
was  of  no  use.     When  his  class,  now  second  classmen, 
moved  down  on  the  Santee  for  summer  quarters,  every- 
thing reminded   him   of   Preble.     He   gave   no   outward 
signs,  but  Catell  and  Knowlton  and  others  knew  that  a 
void  was  left  aching  in  his  heart. 

The  ending  of  the  third  class  year  and  the  beginning 
of  the  second  class  year  mark  a  distinct  turning  point  in 
the  life  of  a  cadet.  Without  knowing  it,  he  changes  from 
a  boy  into  a  man,  and  is  treated  as  such  by  the  authorities. 
Many  things  considered  natural  and  to  be  expected  in  a 
plebe  or  a  "  youngster "  (a  third  classman)  would  be 
looked  upon  by  everyone  as  undignified  in  a  second  class- 
man, or  a  first  classman.  The  basis  for  this  is  not  so 
much  the  difference  in  age  and  experience,  but  the  fact 
that  when  he  becomes  a  second  classman  he  begins  to 
"  come  on  duty,"  and  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  com- 
mand. 

*v 

Buck  started  out  the  second  class  summer  in  the  usual 
way.  He  took  a  keen  interest  in  the  work  in  the  machine 
shops,  where  he  liked  the  faster  and  more  precise  work  of 
the  machine  tools  rather  than  the  slower,  tedious  work  at 
the  bench.  He  liked  the  work  in  the  blacksmith's  shop 

325 


326  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

very  much,  particularly  the  welding  and  shaping  of  iron 
when  hot ;  and  he  cared  but  little  for  the  boiler  shop,  where 
the  work  was  done  chiefly  with  the  cold  chisel.  He  organ- 
ized two  baseball  nines,  to  play  a  series  of  match  games, 
and  soon  had  two  crews  contesting  in  the  shells.  Things 
seemed  to  be  taking  their  normal  course,  when,  about  ten 
days  after  the  summer's  work  began,  it  became  his  turn  to 
be  coxswain  of  cutter  Number  Eight. 

The  detail  officer  always  went  out  in  a  steam  launch, 
and  directed  the  exercises  of  the  cutters  under  sail. 

Before  starting,  he  gave  general  instructions,  and  con- 
cluded : 

"  I  wish  particularly  to  impress  upon  the  coxswains 
that  they  are  in  command.  Let  each  one  look  upon  him- 
self as  he  would  if  in  command  of  a  ship  in  squadron 
maneuvers.  He  is  not  only  responsible  for  prompt  and 
accurate  execution  of  all  orders,  but  for  the  maintenance 
of  order  and  discipline  on  board." 

The  flotilla  tacked  several  times  with  maneuvers  in 
quick  succession,  and  then  stood  out  for  a  long  stretch, 
toward  the  bay.  As  had  been  the  custom  on  the  previous 
days,  Pikeman  and  Ninman,  and  two  or  three  others,  when 
work  was  slack,  got  out  tobacco  and  began  to  roll  some 
cigarettes. 

"  There  will  be  no  smoking  in  cutter  Number  Eight 
this  afternoon,"  said  Buck. 

They  saw  the  way  his  jaws  closed  down,  and  with  a 
scowl  all  put  their  tobacco  up  but  Pikeman. 

"  I  guess  I'll  smoke  as  usual,"  remarked  Pikeman,  as 
he  continued  to  roll  his  cigarette. 

Buck  said  nothing.  Pikeman  deliberately  lighted  the 
cigarette,  drew  a  big  mouthful  of  smoke,  and  puffed  it  up 
in  the  air.  At  the  first  puff,  Buck  put  the  helm  down  and 
swung  out  of  the  line  into  the  wind. 


BUCK  IS  "PUT  IN  COVENTRY"  327 

"  Man  the  brails !  "  he  ordered.  "  Stand  by  the  sheets 
and  halyards !  " 

The  crew  obeyed  the  orders,  wondering  what  Buck  in- 
tended to  do. 

"  Let  go  the  sheets  and  halyards ;  brail  up !  " 

When  the  sail  was  all  in,  Buck  rose  from  the  stern 
sheets,  left  the  tiller  and  walked  across  the  thwarts  and 
stood  over  Pikeman. 

"  I'll  give  you  a  half  minute  to  throw  that  cigarette 
overboard." 

Pikeman  was  nearly  four  years  Buck's  senior,  and 
still  about  an  inch  and  a  half  taller  and  fifteen  pounds 
heavier,  though  Buck  had  been  catching  up  rapidly  since 
the  entrance  examinations. 

"  I'll  not  throw  it  overboard." 

Pikeman  drew  another  puff  and  stood  up.  Buck 
grabbed  at  his  wrist.  Pikeman  anticipated  the  move,  and 
jerked  his  hand  behind  him.  Buck  grappled  him.  Pike- 
man grappled,  still  holding  the  cigarette.  It  was  per- 
haps his  determination  to  hold  on  to  the  cigarette  that 
caused  him  to  be  at  a  disadvantage  and  to  fail  to  notice 
that  Buck  rolled  him  against  the  gunwale,  and  then,  like  a 
flash,  rolled  him  overboard.  Pikeman  came  up  sputter- 
ing and  swearing,  and  started  to  grab  the  gunwale,  to  climb 
back,  but  Buck  pushed  him  back. 

"  Let  me  on  board!  "  he  roared  with  rage. 

"  Not  until  you  say  no  more  cigarettes." 

"  Are  you  men  going  to  stand  there  and  let  him  drown 
a  man  ?  " 

No  one  made  a  move.  They  saw  the  flash  in  Buck's 
eye,  and  knew  he  would  have  tackled  them  all  if  necessary ; 
but  what  cowed  the  whole  crew  Avas  the  consciousness  that 
he  was  in  the  right.  Again,  Pikeman  tried  to  climb  on 
board,  only  to  be  rolled  back. 


328  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  When  you  hold  up  your  hands  and  swear  that  there 
will  be  no  more  cigarette  smoking,  I'll  let  you  on  board, 
and  not  till  then." 

Pikeman  saw  the  launch  in  the  distance,  coming  down 
upon  them.  In  impotent  rage  he  held  his  empty  hands 
up,  and  gave  the  promise  and  then  took  hold  of  the  gun- 
wale. Buck  helped  pull  him  on  board,  then  took  the  helm. 

"Man  the  halyards!  Clear  away  the  brails!  Hoist 
away!  Hold  the  jib  sheet  out  to  windward!  Draw  jib! 
Haul  flat  aft!" 

And  the  cutter  stood  back  toward  her  position  in  the 
line.  The  steam  launch  soon  came  steaming  up  close 
alongside  and  slowed  down. 

"  Why  did  you  drop  out  of  line,  Mr.  Jones  ?  " 

"  To  quell  a  mutiny,  sir." 

"Did  you  quell  it?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Have  you  any  reports  to  make  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  The  matter  of  discipline  has  been  settled 
on  board." 

All  the  rest  of  the  drill  Pikeman  shivered,  and  to  him- 
self swore  revenge. 

The  officer  steamed  away,  and  murmured  to  himself : 

"  Young  Jones  has  caught  the  spirit  of  the  service. 
He's  ready  for  responsibility.  Rather  direct  in  his 
method,"  he  added,  and  smiled  as  he  thought  of  the  man 
he  had  seen  go  overboard. 

Coming  out  of  the  old  mess  hall  after  supper  the  next 
day,  Buck  noticed  Pikeman  and  the  committeemen  going 
upstairs  to  the  model  room,  and  supposed  they  were  hold- 
ing a  meeting  to  consult  about  the  selection  of  a  class  ring, 
that  was  under  discussion.  Before  taps  it  became  gener- 
ally known  that  Buck's  conduct  as  coxswain  was  the  sub- 
ject of  discussion,  and  that  it  was  finally  agreed  that  the 


"  Buck  .  .  .  like  a  flash,  rolled  him  overboard." 


BUCK  IS  "PUT   IX   COVENTRY"  329 

action  of  the  committee  would  be  postponed  till  after 
Buck's  first  tour  of  duty,  which  would  come  the  second  day 
afterwards;  and  if  Buck  continued  to  violate  the  customs 
and  practices  of  his  class,  that  a  class  meeting  would  be 
called  to  "  put  him  in  Coventry."  There  had  been  but 
one  case  of  a  cadet  being  put  in  Coventry  since  Buck  en- 
tered. That  occurred  while  he  was  a  plebe.  One  of  Jo- 
Jo's  gang  cheated  in  a  game  of  poker.  The  game  was 
clandestine,  and  the  participants  decided  that  they  would 
not  report  the  matter  to  the  authorities,  but  would  report 
it  to  the  class.  The  class  promptly  put  the  offender  in  Cov- 
entry, and  not  a  soul  spoke  to  him  from  that  time  on. 
Buck  remembered  the  look  of  scorn  as  everyone  turned 
away.  This  appeared  to  him  as  the  most  terrible  punish- 
ment possible  on  this  earth.  Perhaps  it  was  the  most  ter- 
rible. The  outcast  could  not  stand  it  long,  but  soon  sent 
in  his  resignation.  All  during  the  day  following  the  com- 
mittee meeting,  Buck  looked  depressed  and  preoccupied. 
He  went  about  the  practical  work  in  a  stolid,  mechanical 
way,  and  when  work  was  over,  instead  of  going  out  with 
the  baseball  nine,  he  took  a  long  walk  across  the  Severn. 

When  he  heard  the  detail  read  out  for  the  following 
day,  "  Officer  of  the  day,  Jones,  B.  P.,"  he  felt  as  though 
fate  was  pronouncing  some  terrible  doom.  It  was  an 
overcast  afternoon,  with  black,  tragic  clouds  out  toward  the 
horizon.  The  face  of  the  earth  and  of  the  heavens  seemed 
weird  and  dark  and  threatening. 

"  Officer  of  the  day.  Officer  of  the  day.  I'm  to  be 
officer  of  the  day.  What  shall  I  do?  What  shall  I  do? 
What  shall  I  do  ?  "  He  kept  repeating  the  question,  but 
no  answer  came  from  the  water,  the  land,  or  the  sky. 

He  walked  on  and  on,  only  getting  back  in  time  for 
supper  formation.  During  supper  he  made  an  effort  to 
appear  light-hearted,  but  his  heart  was  as  heavy  as  lead. 
22 


330  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

For  two  hours  after  dark  he  walked  up  and  down  the  sea 
wall,  from  the  Saniee's  wharf  to  the  Marine  Barracks, 
back  and  forth,  where  the  water  ripples  licked  the  stone; 
but  no  answer  came  from  out  the  night,  any  more  than 
from  the  day.  The  boy's  experience  during  those  hours 
was  the  bitterest  he  had  ever  known,  so  bitter,  indeed, 
that  its  impress  remained  upon  his  soul  for  all  time.  Pres- 
ently, the  gun  fired,  and  after  a  while  he  went  aboard. 
The  warning  bugle  sounded — and  taps.  Everything 
seemed  strange.  He  turned  into  his  hammock,  but  not 
to  sleep,  for  tumult  reigned  within.  All  seemed  chaos 
and  confusion. 

"  Why  can't  I  do  like  the  rest  ?  " 

Buck  was  warm-hearted  and  full-blooded,  and  loved 
people  and  company,  and  loved  for  others  to  think  well  of 
him  and  like  him.  He  was  really,  now,  for  the  first  time, 
getting  a  chance  to  see  his  classmates  intimately,  as  they 
were  all  gathered  on  the  Santee  together.  It  is  the  sum- 
mer of  the  second  class  year  that  puts  the  seal  upon  the 
deep  attachments  of  classmates  at  the  Naval  Academy. 

Buck's  affections  had  first  gathered  around  Casey,  then 
around  Preble ;  and  now  they  were  spreading  out  to  cover 
his  classmates  generally.  The  world  seemed  bright  and 
fair.  He  had  begun  to  walk  arm  in  arm  with  Billerson 
and  Henderson  and  Thompson,  and  a  half  dozen  others, 
besides  Catell  and  Knowlton.  During  the  hard  months  of 
perpetual  study,  his  heart  had  been  under  repression,  and 
he  had  begun  to  feel  that  the  summer  would  be  the  hap- 
piest of  his  life. 

"  Why  can't  I  do  like  the  rest  ?  It  has  come  to  be  the 
universal  custom.  Probably  the  authorities  themselves 
don't  really  expect  you  to  report  your  classmates." 

But  there  was  no  relief,  no  rest.  He  heard  the  bell 
strike  five,  then  six,  then  seven,  then  eight — and  he  was 


BUCK   IS  "PUT   IN   COVENTRY"  331 

still  tossing.  lie  heard  it  start  up  one,  then  two,  then 
three,  then  four — and  still  there  was  no  rest  for  his  body, 
no  peace  for  his  soul. 

"  They  ought  not  to  require  you  to  sign  the  statement 
that  you  have  reported  all  infractions  of  the  regulations. 
The  signature  is  under  compulsion.  The  statement  can- 
not be  binding." 

But  still  he  tossed,  and  he  heard  the  bell  strike  five, 
and  then  strike  six. 

"  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  Where  am  I  ?  "  "  You  are 
in  the  naval  service,"  the  answer  seemed  repeating  itself. 
"  And  you  are  to  be  on  duty — on  duty !  .  .  .  God  help 
me,  I'll  do  it.  I'll  do  it.  I  will,  I  will,  though  the 
heavens  fall !  " 

It  was  about  3.30  in  the  morning,  when,  following 
upon  his  absolute  resolve,  a  wonderful  peace  came  over 
Buck  and  he  fell  asleep. 

Buck  was  called  thirty  minutes  before  gun  fire,  and 
was  soon  at  the  desk  of  the  officer  of  the  day.  He  put  on 
the  sword — the  first  time  he  had  ever  worn  a  sword — with 
a  solemn  feeling  of  responsibility.  Shortly  after  gun  fire, 
the  hammocks  were  brought  up.  Buck  thought  they  had 
all  gone  up  some  time  before,  when  Henderson  came  loiter- 
ing along,  six  minutes  behind  the  time  allowed  for 
hammocks. 

"  Mr.  Henderson,  I  must  report  you  for  being  late 
with  your  hammock." 

It  cut  Buck  to  the  quick  to  do  this.  He  saw  a  frown 
come  over  Henderson's  face.  Buck  turned  to  the  desk 
with  a  weight  on  his  heart,  as  he  wrote  Henderson's  name 
on  the  report.  While  he  was  writing,  he  heard  Hender- 
son's voice  down  the  hatch : 

"  Pikeman,  you  are  right.  Jones  is  as  mean  as  they 
make  'em." 


332  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

A  few  minutes  later,  Pikeman  and  Ninman  came  up 
the  hatch  and  sauntered  along  the  deck,  talking  with  ani- 
mation. When  they  were  close  to  Buck,  Pikeman  spoke 
up,  in  a  voice  loud  enough  for  Buck  to  hear : 

"  Let's  go  down  to  the  washrooms,  where  the  fellows 
are  having  a  smoke." 

Buck  paid  no  attention.  It  was  not  part  of  duty  to 
overhear,  or  to  act  on  information  overheard. 

When  Pikeman  joined  the  group  down  in  the  wash- 
room, they  called  out : 

"Where's  your  fish?" 

"  The  sucker  wouldn't  bite,"  he  answered  with  a  scorn- 
ful laugh. 

Pikeman  and  his  lieutenants  had  gathered  together 
nearly  all  the  members  of  the  class  that  smoked,  and  were 
trying  to  lure  Buck  down  to  the  washroom. 

"  Let's  poke  our  heads  up  the  hatch  and  see  what  he 
will  do." 

As  Buck  looked  around,  a  moment  later,  he  saw  four 
or  five  faces  turned  up  the  fore  hatch,  sending  puffs  of 
smoke  upward.  He  rose  promptly  and  went  to  the  fore 
hatch,  and  down  it,  into  the  washroom,  into  the  midst  of 
the  gathering.  The  smokers  made  no  effort  to  conceal 
their  cigarettes.  Pikeman  and  the  committeemen  smiled. 

"  I  will  put  you  gentlemen  on  the  report  for  smoking." 
And  he  took  down  the  names  of  twenty-one  in  all,  then 
went  up  the  hatch. 

"  That  was  the  happiest  moment  of  his  life,"  said 
Pikeman.  "  He  would  go  to  any  length  to  get  a  chance 
to  report  a  classmate,  and  curry  favor  with  the  Superin- 
tendent and  Commandant." 

At  breakfast  formation  five  were  late.  Buck  reported 
them  all.  Then  Millerson,  the  dude,  asked  for  permis- 
sion to  fall  out.  Buck  granted  the  permission,  but  added: 


BUCK  IS  "PUT  IN  COVENTRY"  333 

"  Mr.  Millerson,  I  will  report  you  for  wearing  that 
nonregulation  blouse." 

Millerson  went  away  furious. 

"  He  must  have  been  lying  in  wait  for  me." 

All  through  the  day  the  reports  accumulated.  In  fact, 
the  custom  of  not  reporting  one's  classmates  had  caused 
great  slackness  in  discipline,  until  the  regulations  were 
practically  suspended,  except  when  the  detail  officer  was 
around;  and  cadets,  ordinarily  careful  when  in  winter 
quarters,  had  become  careless  from  habit.  That  night  it 
took  two  of  the  big  pages  to  contain  the  reports.  There 
were  more  for  this  one  day  than  for  all  the  previous  two 
weeks  combined.  Catell  was  the  only  man  not  reported. 
His  habit  of  being  careful  was  proof  against  all  relaxing 
influence.  The  long  enjoyment  of  immunity  had  brought 
many  to  think  that  they  had  a  right  to  it.  Pikeman  and 
his  lieutenants  were  indefatigable,  going  about  among 
those  enraged,  attributing  mean  motives  to  Buck. 

"  He  wants  to  show  off  his  authority.  He's  working 
for  promotion." 

"  He  hates  the  class,  and  is  taking  it  out  this  way." 

"  He  thinks  he  is  the  whole  thing — greater  than  the 
customs,  greater  than  the  class." 

"  He  certainly  soaked  it  to  you — and  without  any 
warning." 

Such  were  the  suggestions.  The  class  was  furious. 
Pikeman,  as  president,  issued  a  call  for  a  class  meeting  at 
nine  o'clock.  Buck  was  still  engaged  copying  up  the  re- 
ports of  the  day  when  Ninman  came  up  to  the  desk. 

"  Mr.  Jones,"  he  began.  Buck  looked  up.  "  I  have 
been  sent  as  a  committee  to  notify  you  that  the  class  has 
put  you  in  Coventry." 

Buck  said  nothing,  but  turned  back  to  the  desk  and 
resumed  his  writing. 


334  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

"  What  did  he  say  ? "  inquired  several,  as  Ninman 
came  back. 

"  He  practically  told  me  to  go  to ." 

It  took  Buck  till  nearly  eleven  o'clock  to  finish  up  the 
report.  Between  names,  he  would  repeat  to  himself,  "  In 
Coventry."  He  would  pause  now  and  then  and  look  up, 
and  repeat,  "  In  Coventry."  When  the  gun  fired,  it 
echoed,  "  In  Coventry."  The  bugle  at  taps  quivered,  "  In 
Coventry."  The  glinting  water,  out  of  the  gun  port, 
spoke,  "  In  Coventry." 

When  he  finally  signed  the  statement  that  he  had  re- 
ported all  infractions  of  the  regulations,  a  sense  of  deep 
relief  came  over  him,  but  upon  its  heels  came  the  pursu- 
ing memory.  He  unlashed  his  hammock  in  a  mechani- 
cal way,  half  dazed,  fixed  the  stretchers,  and  leaped  in, 
more  from  force  of  habit  than  for  any  purpose.  As  he 
leaped,  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  had  more  room  than 
usual.  Those  on  each  side  of  him  had  moved  their  ham- 
mocks away.  A  comfort  came  to  him  from  out  the  infinite 
space  when  he  lifted  up  his  heart : 

"  O  God!  I've  tried  to  do  my  part." 

At  gun  fire,  Buck  leaped  out  and  began  lashing  his 
hammock  vigorously. 

"  Good  morning,  Billerson.  It's  a  fine  day,"  he  called 
out  heartily. 

Billerson  turned  his  head  and  ignored  the  salutation. 
The  terrible  reality  rushed  back  upon  Buck.  He  was  in 
Coventry !  When  he  carried  his  hammock  on  deck,  passing 
his  classmates  coming  and  going,  there  was  a  glassy  stare 
as  eyes  met  only  to  turn  away.  When  he  began  washing, 
the  basin  on  each  side  was  left  vacant,  as  though  he  were  a 
leper.  At  breakfast  formation  no  one  would  fill  the  file 
in  rear  of  him,  and  it  was  left  vacant.  At  the  table,  the 
men  on  each  side  edged  their  chairs  away.  Walking  back 


BUCK  IS  "PUT  IN  COVENTRY"  335 

to  the  Santee,  those  that  were  near  slackened  to  let  him 
pass  on.  In  the  blacksmith  shop,  where  he  and  Hender- 
son had  been  working  together  on  a  large  weld,  Henderson 
obtained  a  shift  of  work  and  left  Buck  working  alone.  In 
the  cutter  drill,  the  coxswain  assigned  him  to  the  bow, 
where  he  would  be  alone.  When  drill  was  over,  he  started 
out  for  a  walk,  passing  by  the  baseball  field.  The  sides 
were  choosing  up,  and  the  moment  he  appeared  the  whole 
thing  stopped;  they  were  ready  to  disband  if  he  should 
pause ;  but  he  passed  on  and  then  they  went  ahead.  When 
he  came  back  he  wanted  a  swim,  and  jumped  in  some 
little  distance  from  where  the  others  were  bathing.  The 
instant  he  came  in,  the  others  went  out.  When  he  turned 
in  that  night,  he  counted  up,  and  found  that  he  had 
spoken  just  seven  words  all  day,  since  his  forgetful  salu- 
tation to  Billerson.  Five  of  those  words  were  to  the 
blacksmith;  the  other  two  were  official.  The  next  day, 
he  spoke  but  three  words  altogether,  the  next  day  none. 
He  went  about  in  silence,  treated  with  scorn  and  con- 
tempt. 

No  cadet  has  ever  been  able  to  endure  for  any  length 
of  time  being  put  in  Coventry  at  Annapolis.  It  is  a  pun- 
ishment beyond  anything  conceived  of  elsewhere.  Pike- 
man's  crowd  expected  to  see  Buck  resentful  and  angry  at 
first,  then  sullen,  then,  melancholy ;  and  then  they  expected 
him  to  resign.  They  were  surprised  to  see  him  go  his 
way,  holding  his  head  and  eyes  erect,  as  he  carried  out  a 
routine.  He  took  an  hour's  walk,  a  half  hour  in  the  gym- 
nasium, and  a  twenty-minute  swim  each  day,  and  twice  a 
week  he  took  a  horseback  ride,  sometimes  as  far  as  White- 
hall ;  and  during  the  other  spare  hours,  especially  between 
supper  and  taps,  he  studied  and  read  some  interesting 
books,  notably  the  classics  and  the  standard  novels  he  had 
never  had  time  to  read  before.  He  began  to  delve  into  the 


336  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

theory  of  the  steam  engine,  and  to  take  up  theoretical  naval 
architecture  and  nautical  astronomy.  The  subjects  came 
to  have  a  fascination  for  him.  Huff  and  Rix  became  un- 
easy, and  began  studying  the  textbooks  for  the  following 
year,  work  that  they  found  great  drudgery,  while  the 
others  were  at  sport  or  recreation. 

Pikeman  became  anxious  lest  the  Coventry  should 
fail  of  its  purpose.  He  noticed  Buck's  steady,  firmly 
closed,  silent  lips,  but  he  failed  to  detect  any  gloom  or 
depression. 

One  day  he  and  all  the  others  were  confounded  as 
Catell  came  on  duty,  and,  from  the  morning  gun,  began  to 
report  everybody,  whenever  there  was  an  infraction  of  the 
regulations.  Several  times  committeemen  went  to  him 
and  warned  him.  At  nine  o'clock  the  class  met  and  put 
him  in  Coventry. 

Buck  had  just  gotten  off  to  sleep  when  he  was  awakened 
by  a  shaking  of  his  hammock.  He  looked  up.  It  was 
Catell,  unlashing  his  own  hammock  close  by. 

"  I've  come  over  to  join  you,  Jones.  I  didn't  have  the 
courage  the  first  time ;  but  ever  since  they  put  you  in  Cov- 
entry I  have  been  impatient  for  my  turn  for  duty  to  come 
again." 

Buck  now  had  a.  companion,  sent,  as  it  seemed  to  him, 
from  heaven.  They  had  been  good  friends  before,  but 
new  and  wonderful  ties  now  came  to  bind  them.  Buck 
felt  it  was  almost  worth  the  loss  of  the  friendship  of  all 
the  others. 

The  following  week  a  bomb  was  thrown  into  the  group 
of  Pikeman's  friends,  when  Knowlton  began  reporting 
right  and  left.  They  put  him  in  Coventry,  also,  and  that 
night  he  swung  his  hammock  alongside  of  Buck. 

"  It's  a  mean,  false  class  spirit  that  would  put  a  man 
in  Coventry  for  doing  his  duty,"  said  Knowlton. 


BUCK  IS    'PUT  IN  COVENTRY"  337 

The  dual  fellowship  became  triple,  and  Knowlton,  with 
his  gay  nature  and  fun-making  talent,  soon  had  the  three 
almost  as  bright  as  the  rest. 

It  was  utterly  beyond  Pikeman's  comprehension  when, 
a  few  weeks  later,  Billerson  reported  everybody,  only  to 
be  put  in  Coventry  with  the  other  three. 

Two  days  later,  Craney,  one  of  the  committeemen,  fol- 
lowed. Next  came  Davenport,  then  Eberhart,  then  Ful- 
ton, then  Henderson  himself.  Every  few  days  there  was 
a  new  recruit,  and  when  the  summer  closed  there  were 
nineteen  men  swinging  with  Buck.  They  were  doing  the 
best  work.  They  had  gotten  up  two  baseball  nines  among 
themselves,  and  they  all  agreed  that  the  latter  part  of  the 
summer  was  the  happiest.  They  were  a  concrete  illustra- 
tion of  the  great  fact  that  the  highest  and  truest  happiness, 
even  for  youth,  can  only  come  in  the  path  of  rectitude  and 
duty. 

"  I  can  tell  by  the  way  a  lot  of  those  other  fellows  look 
that  if  they  had  come  on  duty  again  they  would  have 
joined  us,"  remarked  Craney,  as  they  were  breaking  up 
to  go  on  leave. 

"  Yes,  I  agree  with  you,  Craney,"  replied  Buck.  "  If 
the  summer  had  lasted  long  enough  we  should  have  had  a 
big  majority  of  the  whole  class." 

The  summer  was  an  unusually  hot  one,  and  Major 
Jones  carried  his  family  to  the  mountains  of  North  Caro- 
lina, where  Buck  joined  them,  bringing  Catell  and  Knowl- 
ton as  his  guests.  The  spirit  of  the  mountain  climber, 
which  had  taken  root  the  previous  summer,  in  the  White 
Mountains,  came  over  him  strongly  again,  and  he  put  in 
his  vacation  organizing  one  trip  after  another — up  Mount 
Mitchell,  to  the  Roan  Mountains,  to  the  Smoke  Moun- 
tains, and  all  through  the  Sapphire  Country.  He  and  Ca- 
tell and  Knowlton  caught  mountain  trout  in  the  smaller 


338  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

streams,  took  dips  into  the  Swananoah  and  French  Broad, 
and  reached  the  waters  of  the  Yadkin. 

When  they  told  the  family  good-by,  Catell  and  Knowl- 
ton  declared  that  it  had  been  the  happiest  month  of  their 
lives,  and  perhaps  it  had.  The  three  young  men  had 
reached  a  plane  of  friendship  attainable  only  with  a  com- 
mon experience  of  sacrifice  in  a  noble  cause,  and  a  com- 
radeship in  a  noble  resolve. 


CHAPTEK   XXIII 

BUCK  BECOMES  NOTED  AS  A  GHOST  CATCHER 

WHEN  they  reached  Annapolis  they  found  the 
Academy  all  excitement.  On  account  of  the 
growing  tension  with  Spain  over  the  Cuban 
insurrection,  the  Navy  Department  was  adopting  the  pol- 
icy of  putting  more  ships  in  commission,  making  an  in- 
creasing demand  for  officers.  The  graduates  of  the  pre- 
vious June  had  proved  inadequate  to  meet  the  demand  for 
junior  officers.  The  Navy  Department  had,  therefore, 
directed  that  half  of  the  first  class  be  graduated  in  Feb- 
ruary, the  other  half  in  May,  and  that  the  summer  cruise 
be  omitted  the  following  year,  the  second  class  to  be  ad- 
vanced to  first  classmen  in  May,  and  to  be  graduated  the 
first  of  December. 

The  Superintendent  had  appointed  a  board  of  officers 
to  revise  the  course  to  meet  these  requirements.  Their 
report  had  just  been  completed  and  approved.  The  cadets 
returning  were  discussing  the  outlook.  Some  were  ex- 
cited, thinking  that  war  might  come  immediately  and 
leave  them  at  the  Academy.  All  were  eager  to  move  for- 
ward. It  is  remarkable  how  an  eager  and  willing  spirit 
can  accomplish  tasks  otherwise  impossible.  It  is  no  exag- 
geration to  say  that  the  eagerness  and  willingness  of  the 
cadets,  at  the  prospect  of  war,  caused  them  to  accomplish 
more  in  one  year  than  they  would  otherwise  have  accom- 
plished in  two  years. 

339 


340  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Catell  and  Buck  had  agreed  to  room  together,  and  it 
made  a  strong  combination ;  Catell,  with  his  care  and  pre- 
cision and  neatness,  was  a  help  and  supplement  to  Buck, 
whose  hold  on  mathematics  and  the  heavyweight  problems 
was  a  supplemental  help  to  Catell. 

The  second  class  year  at  the  Naval  Academy  is  by  all 
odds  the  hardest  year  in  studies.  Buck's  second  class  year 
was  doubly  hard,  the  class  covering  the  whole  year's  work 
in  about  two-thirds  of  the  time. 

Buck  inaugurated  the  old  routine  for  putting  in  the 
maximum  of  time.  The  result  was  a  surprise,  even  to 
Buck  himself.  When  the  marks  were  posted,  at  the  end 
of  the  first  month,  he  stood  first  in  mechanics  and  applied 
mathematics,  first  in  steam  engineering,  first  in  calculus, 
and  second  in  international  law,  which  put  him  first  in  the 
class  by  an  enormous  lead,  Huff  coming  out  second  and 
Rix  third.  The  next  month,  Huff  and  Rix  strained  every 
nerve,  but  in  vain.  They  were  all  on  an  even  footing, 
now,  in  new  fields.  Buck's  powers  of  concentration  and 
mental  discipline  were  unmatched,  and  his  methodical 
habit  of  hard  work  could  not  be  equaled.  The  result  was 
inevitable.  Month  after  month  he  came  out  first,  each 
time  with  a  larger  lead. 

The  first  class  was  unusually  small  in  numbers,  so 
second  classmen  were  put  on  as  officers  of  the  day  at  the 
Old  Quarters.  Both  the  Commandant  and  Superintendent 
were  struck  by  their  efficiency  and  devotion  to  duty. 
Those  who  had  come  over  to  Buck's  side  in  the  summer 
were  not  the  only  ones,  but  one  after  another  of  those  re- 
maining took  up  the  same  practice  of  exacting  strict  com- 
pliance with  regulations,  from  all  alike.  There  was  no 
effort  to  put  them  in  Coventry,  and  gradually  the  whole 
Coventry  structure  fell  to  pieces.  Pikeman  was  slowly 
losing  his  hold.  One  adherent  after  another  abandoned 


BUCK   BECOMES  NOTED   AS  A  GHOST  CATCHER       341 

him.  But  he  counted  on  his  original  group,  with  Ninman 
at  the  head.  The  third  month,  it  happened  that  Ninman 
was  section  leader  and  Pikeman  was  in  the  section.  One 
day,  the  section  was  surprised  when  Ninman  announced 
that  thereafter  there  would  be  no  more  talking  and  study- 
ing in  the  fourth  section  on  the  way  to  and  from  recitation. 

When  the  section  was  about  half  way  down  the  walk, 
Pikeman,  as  usual,  opened  his  steam  book  to  do  some  last 
studying. 

"  Pikeman,  close  that  book,"  Ninman  ordered. 

Pikeman  paid  no  attention  to  the  order. 

"  I  mean  what  I  say.     Close  that  book." 

"  You  go  to ."  And  Pikeman  continued  with  the 

book  open. 

When  the  section  was  finally  dismissed,  Ninman  went 
to  the  officer-in-charge's  office  and  handed  in  reports 
against  Pikeman:  1st,  for  violation  of  regulations, 
reading  book  while  in  section;  2d,  for  disobedience  of 
orders,  keeping  book  open  when  ordered  by  section  leader 
to  close  it ;  3d,  conduct  prejudicial  to  the  maintenance  of 
good  order  and  discipline,  answering  back  in  unbecoming 
and  defiant  language  when  given  a  lawful  order  by  his 
superior  in  command. 

These  reports  produced  a  sensation.  Ninman  went  to 
the  committeemen,  and  a  class  meeting  was  called  that 
same  night,  after  gun  fire.  Pikeman  was  deposed  from 
class  president,  and  Buck  was  elected  president  by  acclama- 
tion, amid  unprecedented  enthusiasm.  The  next  day,  the 
Superintendent  wrote  to  the  Navy  Department,  reporting 
Pikeman's  case,  and  recommending  his  dismissal.  Two 
days  later  an  order  was  published  at  dinner  formation, 
dismissing  Pikeman  "  for  the  good  of  the  service." 

After  the  first  term,  Buck  began  to  take  up  sports. 

He  could  do  it,  now  that  he  stood  first ! 


342  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Soon  he  was  catcher  on  the  baseball  nine,  and  just 
before  the  first  match  game  they  made  him  captain.  He 
thought  that  baseball  was  enough,  but  they  all  insisted  on 
his  pulling  in  the  boat's  crew,  and  when  he  finally  consented 
they  made  him  captain.  He  put  his  crew  into  wonderful 
condition,  pulled  the  stroke  oar  himself,  and  arranged  to 
have  a  long  course  decided  upon. 

When  the  first  part  of  the  first  class  graduated  in  Feb- 
ruary, fifteen  of  the  second  classmen,  headed  by  Buck, 
were  made  noncommissioned  officers  in  the  battalion, 
whereupon  Buck  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  tactics 
for  infantry  and  artillery,  though  these  studies  would  not 
come  till  the  first  class  year. 

When  the  final  graduation  of  the  first  class  took  place, 
in  May,  Buck  was  chosen  cadet  lieutenant  commander. 
It  had  been  a  swift,  vigorous,  strenuous  second  class  year, 
crowded  full  to  the  very  brim.  Buck  was  first  in  athletics 
and  sports,  first  in  discipline,  and  first  in  each  and  every 
study. 

The  graduating  exercises  took  place  Friday,  and  the 
following  Monday  morning  the  new  academic  year  began. 
Buck's  class  was  launched  at  once  into  the  study  of  navi- 
gation and  surveying,  seamanship,  naval  architecture,  and 
shipbuilding,  ordnance  and  gunnery — studies  which  lit- 
erally fascinated  Buck.  He  had  been  thrown  with  their 
practical  application  so  much,  on  his  cruises,  and  had 
gone  into  them  to  such  an  extent,  that)  though  his  class- 
mates groaned  under  the  long  lessons,  he  found  but  little 
difficulty,  and  mastered  them  easily.  He  was  particu- 
larly interested  in  the  handling  of  the  battalion.  Com- 
mand seemed  to  come  to  him  like  second  nature.  Per- 
haps he  had  inherited  the  quality  from  a  long  line  of 
forefathers;  and  it  had  been  quickened  by  his  course  of 
obedience.  From  the  first  formation  after  graduation, 


BUCK   BECOMES  NOTED  AS  A   GHOST  CATCHER       343 

when  he  took  charge,  he  seemed  perfectly  at  home.  The 
orders  were  given  as  though  he  had  had  a  long  experi- 
ence. His  physique  helped  him  out  in  this.  He  was  now 
climbing  up  to  five  feet  eleven  inches  in  height,  and 
weighed  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  pounds,  as  solid  as 
steel  and  as  straight  as  an  arrow.  His  voice  was  wonder- 
ful for  giving  orders.  Without  effort  he  could  give  an 
order  that  could  be  heard  for  half  a  mile.  Frequently, 
the  officer  in  charge  of  artillery  drill,  if  the  bugler  hap- 
pened to  be  off  for  the  moment,  would  call  on  Buck  to 
give  the  command,  and  his  voice  would  sound  clear,  above 
all  the  din  of  a  charge.  Furthermore,  Buck's  spirit  of 
discipline  and  devotion  to  duty  had  been  transmitted  from 
his  own  class  through  all  the  classes,  and  permeated  the 
whole  corps. 

Early  in  June,  the  country  around  was  stirred,  as  in 
the  previous  year,  by  accounts  of  the  depredations  of 
Oyster  Pirates,  who  did  not  hesitate  to  murder  or  drown 
the  oyster  fishermen  they  fell  upon.  As  in  the  previous 
year,  the  pirates  had  committed  the  most  appalling  mur- 
ders, and  then  had  been  chased  by  revenue  cutters  and 
disappeared  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Severn.  By  direction  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  the 
Superintendent  sent  out  an  expedition  in  search.  A  six- 
pounder  was  mounted  on  the  bow  of  the  Standish,  and 
a  gun's  crew  of  first  classmen  was  selected  to  man  it,  with 
Buck  in  charge.  The  head  of  the  Department  of  Ord- 
nance was  in  command  of  the  expedition.  For  three  days 
they  steamed  up  and  down,  for  fifty  miles  on  each  side, 
and  around  Kent  Island,  but  found  no  trace,  and  returned. 

The  search  was  finally  abandoned  by  the  revenue  cut- 
ters as  well.  The  routine  work  went  ahead  as  usual. 

The  incident,  however,  gave  an  impetus  to  target  prac- 
tice, and  Buck  headed  a  movement  that  ended  in  the  Navy 


344  BUCK   JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Department  allowing  a  special  supply  of  ammunition,  all 
the  way  from  the  thirteen  inch  on  the  monitor,  down  to 
the  pistol.  He  took  delight  in  eliminating  all  the  errors, 
one  by  one,  with  each  caliber,  until  he  could  score  a  bull's 
eye  with  astonishing  frequency.  The  Superintendent  re- 
ported his  scores  to  the  Navy  Department;  and  before 
long  the  Department  wrote  to  inquire  if  Cadet  Buchanan 
Jones  was  sufficiently  proficient  in  studies  to  be  able  to 
spare  the  time  to  enter  with  one  of  the  Navy  teams  at 
the  great  shooting  match  at  Seagirt  The  Army  had  won 
the  last  two  championships,  the  militia  the  previous  one, 
and  a  private  citizen  the  one  before  that ;  the  Navy  hadn't 
won  for  five  years. 

Buck  got  permission  to  go  on  three  days  ahead  of 
time.  He  was  in  wonderful  physical  condition,  and  the 
constant  salt  bathing  had  kept  his  eyes  in  splendid  con- 
dition. For  three  days  he  practiced  on  the  range,  testing 
the  influence  of  all  the  air  currents,  of  all  the  cloud  and 
sky  effects,  and  light  effects  on  target  and  on  his  sights. 

It  took  a  week  to  finish  the  first  series,  which  elimi- 
nated all  but  ten.  Buck  was  number  seven  among  these. 

The  course  was  made  more  difficult,  the  ranges  in- 
creased, with  more  skirmish  runs,  and  rapid  firing.  This 
series  eliminated  all  but  five.  Buck  was  number  three 
among  these.  The  next  series  was  likewise  made  more 
difficult,  a  large  part  of  the  firing  being  done  at  eighteen 
hundred  yards.  It  left  but  two  in  the  contest.  Buck  was 
Number  Two.  A  sergeant  of  regulars  was  Number  One, 
and  had  been  Number  One  in  all  the  contests  from  the 
start. 

The  judges  decided  to  put  these  two  to  the  test  that 
had  never  been  tried  except  in  the  international  contest 
in  Germany.  The  firing  opened  at  twenty-four  hundred 
yards,  and  the  skirmish  run  began  six  hundred  yards 


BUCK  BECOMES  NOTED  AS  A  GHOST  CATCHER       345 

earlier  than  in  the  preceding  test.  The  sergeant  was 
panting  heavily  by  the  time  he  reached  the  middle  of 
the  course.  When  he  finally  fired  his  last  shot,  he  fell 
exhausted.  Buck  never  opened  his  mouth  once,  and 
ended  in  comfort,  breathing  long,  deep  breaths,  though 
he  had  considerably  lowered  the  time  of  the  sergeant. 
The  crowd  surged  to  see  the  target. 

Upon  examination,  it  was  found  that  Buck  had  broken 
the  record  and  set  a  new  pace  for  such  contests.  Cable- 
grams of  inquiry  as  to  the  methods  and  measures  began 
coming  in  from  all  the  military  centers  of  the  world. 
The  answers  ended  by  stating  that  "  the  young  cadet  has 
not  yet  reached  his  eighteenth  birthday." 

When  Buck  returned  to  Annapolis,  he  applied  himself 
to  the  lost  work,  made  it  up,  entered  the  regular  exam- 
inations, made  the  best  marks  in  all  of  them,  though  he 
had  lost  fifteen  days,  and  stood  first  for  the  month  in 
every  study.  When  the  weather  became  hot,  the  even- 
ing study  hour  was  made  later — eight  o'clock  instead  of 
7.30,  and  in  the  long  twilight  after  supper  Buck  and 
Catell  and  Knowlton  used  to  stroll  over  across  the  gov- 
ernment farm,  enjoying  the  cool  of  the  evening.  One 
day  they  wandered  up  the  river,  and  were  coming  back 
across  the  farm  well  after  dark,  when  they  were  startled 
to  hear  strange  noises  as  they  passed  near  the  old  Gov- 
ernment Hospital  that  had  been  closed  since  the  Civil 
War.  It  was  a  dark  night,  and  everything  was  ghostly 
among  the  black  cedar  trees  around  the  hospital.  The 
noises  seemed  to  come  from  the  basement.  The  three 
cadets  stopped  and  listened.  The  noise  was  weird,  and 
seemed  to  be  approaching. 

"  It's  ghosts,"  whispered  Knowlton,  with  a  tremor  in 

his  voice. 

23 


346  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

At  that  instant  something  white  appeared  from  be- 
hind the  corner  of  the  hospital.  With  one  impulse  the 
cadets  started  forward  on  the  run.  They  didn't  stop  to 
look  back,  but  flew  across  the  fields  and  over  the  hill. 
When  crossing  Graveyard  Creek  bridge  they  quickened 
their  pace,  for  the  bridge  creaked,  and  the  white  tombs 
in  the  distance  seemed  to  be  coming  toward  them.  They 
fairly  flew,  and  did  not  stop  till  they  were  safe  inside  the 
Academy  grounds,  with  the  sentry  and  watchman  between 
them  and  their  pursuers.  Soon  they  began  to  feel  a  little 
ashamed,  Buck  especially.  He  had  more  speed,  and  at 
first  had  dashed  ahead  of  the  others;  but  he  concluded, 
and  Knowlton  also,  who  was  faster  than  Catell,  that  all 
three  had  better  remain  together. 

They  told  of  their  adventure,  and  several  classmates 
began  to  twit  them. 

"  All  right,  I  dare  you  fellows  to  go  over  there  to- 
morrow night,"  said  Knowlton,  with  defiance. 

They  accepted  the  challenge,  and  next  night  a  party 
of  five  others  went  over  about  7.30  o'clock,  only  to  come 
flying  back  faster  than  the  first,  telling  wild  tales.  One 
of  them  had  almost  been  seized  by  a  ghost.  They  all 
made  a  very  narrow  escape. 

The  next  night  a  party  of  ten  went  over,  with  the  same 
result,  and  the  stories  grew.  Soon  it  was  discovered  that 
the  gymnasium  was  haunted,  and  the  old  houses  in  An- 
napolis, and  out  in  the  country  around  Annapolis.  A 
ghost  epidemic  passed  over  the  land. 

Buck  had  become  thoroughly  ashamed  of  himself  for 
running  as  he  did.  His  conscience  seemed  to  trouble  him. 
Finally  he  decided,  as  punishment,  that  he  would  make 
himself  go  over  and  see  it  out.  So  he  slipped  off  alone 
one  night.  He  trembled  a  little  as  he  crossed  the  bridge, 
but  never  changed  his  steady  walk.  His  heart  began  to 


BUCK  BECOMES  NOTED  AS  A  GHOST  CATCHER       347 

beat  fast  as  he  approached  the  hospital.  It  looked  more 
weird  and  ghostly  than  before.  His  legs  almost  refused 
to  go,  but  on  he  forced  himself  to  march.  His  hair  stood 
on  end  as  he  reached  the  sighing  cedars,  for  he  heard  the 
noises — there  was  no  question  about  them.  On  he  forced 
himself  to  go.  Suddenly  a  white  object  appeared  at  the 
corner  of  the  building.  Buck  turned  and  flew.  As  he 
went  down  the  hill  his  conscience  rose  up,  and  a  fierce 
struggle  followed  between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit. 

After  a  while  he  stopped,  arguing  with  himself. 

Back  he  went,  by  the  cedar  trees.  The  noises  began. 
He  marched  on,  his  teeth  clenched.  He  thought  he  saw  a 
white  object.  His  whole  frame  trembled,  but  on  he 
marched. 

"There  it  is!" 

His  flesh  crept,  but  on  he  marched.  The  white  object 
receded;  he  followed.  Suddenly  a  great  commotion  be- 
gan. He  saw  white  objects  moving  within  the  basement 
door.  On  he  marched,  up  to  the  door  itself,  and  stood 
in  the  entrance.  Turmoil  and  confusion  reigned.  Sud- 
denly a  white  object  dashed  straight  for  him.  He  braced 
himself  and  did  not  budge.  He  received  a  heavy  blow  in 
the  chest,  and  went  over  backward,  and,  throwing  out 
his  hands,  felt  the  curved  horns  of  a  ram  as  it  passed  over 
him.  Oh,  how  sweet  it  was  to  be  butted  over  by  that 
ram!  !  Buck  could  hardly  catch  his  breath  from  the 
blow,  but  he  had  never  experienced  such  ecstatic  delight 
as  he  did  then,  reaching  up  to  grab  at  each  sheep  ghost 
as  it  passed  over  him.  Oh,  how  joyous  it  was  to  be  tram- 
pled upon  by  that  flock  of  sheep!  ! 

The  next  night  Buck  located  the  gymnasium  ghost  in 
the  branches  of  the  mulberry  tree  that  overlapped  and 
scratched  on  the  tin  roof.  He  went  about  locating  all 
the  other  ghosts,  and  soon  became  famous  as  a  "  ghost 


348  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

catcher."  People  began  to  send  for  him  from  all  around 
to  come  and  catch  their  ghosts,  and  he  had  great  sport 
at  it.  One  day  a  darky  came  in  and  begged  him  to  come 
out  to  Whitehall. 

"  Dey  is  terrible  ghosts,  sah — dey  sho'  is.  This  time 
of  the  year  they  have  great  carryin's  on.  I  can't  work 
my  tater  crop.  I  hears  'em  in  the  daytime." 

Buck  told  the  darky  he  would  like  to  catch  his  ghosts 
for  him,  but  that  it  was  too  far — seven  miles  away. 

The  following  week,  the  Superintendent  sent  for  Buck. 
Upon  entering  his  office,  Buck  found  the  same  darky. 

"  Mr.  Jones,  this  darky  says  his  crop  is  overgrown 
with  grass,  that  the  crop  of  his  neighbor  has  been  aban- 
doned, because  of  the  ghosts  in  Whitehall,  and  he  has 
come  to  ask  me  to  let  our  ghost  catcher  come  out  and 
catch  them.  Would  you  mind  going  out  with  him?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  should  enjoy  it." 

"  You  will  be  excused  from  drill  this  afternoon,  and 
can  start  when  your  third  period  recitation  is  over — and 
you  will  be  excused  if  not  back  by  taps." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir."    Buck  saluted. 

He  and  the  Superintendent  looked  at  each  other  and 
smiled.  The  darky,  however,  was  in  deadly  earnest.  Af- 
ter recitation,  Buck  put  on  his  tramping  clothes — a  blue 
flannel  shirt,  a  pair  of  old  trousers  and  leggings,  and  he 
and  the  darky  started  out  about  three  o'clock. 

It  is  eight  miles  to  Whitehall  by  the  road,  but  the 
darky  knew  short  cuts  that  saved  nearly  two  miles.  As 
he  followed  the  darky,  in  one  of  the  short  cuts  up  the 
bank  of  Mill  Creek,  he  noticed  a  good-sized  steam  vessel, 
that  looked  a  cross  between  a  steam  yacht  and  a  tug, 
moored  under  the  cover  of  overhanging  boughs. 

"  A  queer-looking  vessel,"  he  remarked.  "  That  looks 
like  the  niche  for  a  gun  mount  on  the  bow.  I  don't  see 


BUCK   BECOMES   NOTED  AS  A  GHOST  CATCHER       349 

how  it  could  get  up  the  creek.  The  chart  doesn't  show 
any  channel  deep  enough." 

"  It  comes  in  eve'y  spring  and  stays  till  fall.  I  'spec' 
de  owners  wants  to  git  it  away  frum  bein'  bothered  with. 
Dey  ain't  no  one  ever  comes  tru  dere." 

They  reached  the  darky's  house,  about  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  Whitehall,  about  five  o'clock,  and  Buck  sat 
down  to  have  some  kindly  fun  about  the  ghosts.  The 
darky's  wife  and  children  were  all  in  a  fearful  state  of 
mind. 

"  I'se  gwine  away  from  here,  ef  you  pester  them 
ghosts.  I  seed  one  of  'em  at  de  winder  ten  minutes 
ago." 

Buck  was  greatly  amused.  After  a  little  rest,  he 
started  leisurely  for  the  quaint,  old  colonial  house.  He 
had  ridden  by  on  horseback,  several  times  before,  but  had 
always  been  in  a  hurry,  and  was  now  delighted  to  have 
a  chance  to  see  the  house  at  leisure.  Whitehall,  in  many 
ways,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  houses  in  America. 
It  was  built  by  Governor  Sharp,  one  of  the  greatest  colo- 
nial governors  ever  sent  to  Maryland  by  the  British 
crown.  Here  the  function  of  government  was  carried  on 
for  many  years.  The  guardhouse  remains,  where  the 
soldiers  were  quartered,  and  the  old  dungeon  under  the 
house,  where  prisoners  were  confined.  To  this  day  it  is 
a  beautiful  piece  of  pure  colonial  architecture,  with  wings 
running  out  from  the  main  building.  One  is  in  doubt 
which  side  is  the  more  interesting — the  rear,  facing  the 
overgrown  garden  to  the  north,  or  the  front,  facing  the  bay 
to  the  south.  Buck  was  coming  up,  admiring  the  beauty 
of  the  rear,  when  he  noticed  something  pass  by  the  win- 
dow. He  diverged  his  course  out  to  the  guardhouse,  and 
then  approached  from  the  west  wing.  As  he  came  close 
he  heard  noises. 


350  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  These  are  no  sheep." 

He  cautiously  entered  the  old  archway  leading  toward 
the  dungeon,  and  slowly  felt  his  way  along  the  walls, 
through  the  dimming  light,  toward  the  direction  of  the 
sound. 

"  The  ghosts  are  men,  this  time." 

He  could  now  hear  their  voices — coarse  and  brutal, 
using  foul  oaths.  They  were  evidently  gambling. 

Buck  advanced  cautiously.  He  got  down  on  his  all 
fours,  as  a  precaution,  for  it  had  become  pitch  dark. 
Soon  he  came  to  a  turn,  and  saw  the  flicker  of  a  light 
against  the  wall  at  the  end  of  the  passage.  Upon  reaching 
this  point,  he  peered  around  the  corner,  and  there  in  the 
dungeon  chamber  sat  six  hideous-looking  men,  playing 
cards. 

"  Who  can  they  be  ? "  Buck  asked  himself. 

The  dim  light  showed  a  most  remarkable  collection 
of  objects. 

It  was  evidently  booty,  and  the  men,  robbers.  The 
lamp  came  from  an  engine  room.  The  loot  came  off  of 
vessels.  It  was  the  lair  of  the  Oyster  Pirates! 

Buck  became  more  deliberate.  He  was  just  drawing 
his  legs  under  him  to  turn  away  before  being  detected, 
when  the  man  dealing  the  cards  remarked: 

"  There's  a  ghost  catcher  abroad.  The  town  was  full 
of  accounts  of  his  catches,  when  I  went  in  for  fresh  provi- 
sions last  week." 

"  Who  is  he?  "  asked  the  one  opposite. 

"  Only  one  of  those  damn  little  brass  buttons." 

"  I'd  like  to  get  a  whack  at  those  brass  buttons,  big 
ones  or  little  ones,"  said  another. 

"  Cap'n,  you  are  always  out  for  a  fight,  and  I'm  with 
you;  but  a  war  vessel  is  not  a  revenue  cutter." 

The  captain  broke  out  in  a  loud  laugh. 


BUCK  BECOMES   NOTED  AS  A  GHOST  CATCHER       351 

"  War  vessel !  They  sent  out  that  Academy  tub.  If 
the  Captain  Kidd  hadn't  been  in  the  summer  quarters 
up  the  creek,  I'd  have  sent  that  tub  and  the  brass  buttons 
to  Davie  Jones's  locker  in  fifteen  minutes.  I'll  sink  her 
upon  sight  by !  " 

Buck  was  riveted  by  what  he  heard,  but  gradually  he 
was  turning,  when  his  heart  seemed  to  stop  beating,  as 
he  heard  one  of  the  players  remark: 

"  As  I  passed  by  the  cabin  this  morning,  and  asked 
the  old  woman  where  her  old  man  was,  she  said  he  had 
gone  to  town  for  the  ghost  catcher." 

A  general  laugh  followed,  but  a  terrible  oath  broke 
out  from  one  of  them. 

"  Why  didn't  you  say  so  before,"  he  said,  as  he  got 
up  from  the  game.  "  Pedro,  if  you  look  at  my  hand  while 
I'm  gone,  I'll  cut  your  infernal  lights  out." 

"  Where  you  going?  " 

"  To  take  a  look.  I  saw  a  young  boy  at  the  cabin  as 
I  went  up  to  make  the  ghost  signal." 

"  If  it's  the  ghost  catcher,  bring  him  down  and  we'll 
get  a  tenderloin  off  of  him  for  supper." 

"  But  don't  let  him  see  you,"  continued  the  captain. 
"  If  he  does,  he  must  never  go  back  alive." 

"  I  should  have  left  sooner,"  thought  Buck  to  himself. 
"  It's  too  late  now.  I'll  hide."  He  slipped  over  to  the 
other  side,  where  the  flicker  of  the  light  had  no  effect, 
and  crouched  down  low  in  the  dark. 

The  cutthroat  came  nearer.  Buck  held  his  breath. 
He  passed  so  close  that  his  legs  fanned  the  air  in  Buck's 
face.  He  went  out  to  the  entrance,  poked  his  head  out, 
looked  cautiously  around,  then  started  back.  Buck  could 
detect  his  form  against  the  diffused  light  let  in  by  the 
entrance  at  the  other  end.  He  was  coming  down  the 
middle  of  the  passage,  where  he  would  pass  close  again; 


352  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

but,  without  any  reason,  just  before  he  reached  Buck,  he 
edged  over  to  the  boy's  side.  Buck  tried  to  dodge  to  the 
other  side,  but  too  late;  the  man  tripped  on  his  legs. 

"What  is  this?"  he  exclaimed,  with  an  oath,  as  he 
reached  down  to  seize  the  object,  whatever  it  might  be. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

BUCK    FIGHTS    UNDER    WATER AND    FIRE 

BUCK  did  not  lose  an  instant.  He  grabbed  the  man's 
legs,  threw  him  with  tremendous  force,  then 
dashed  for  the  entrance.  There  was  great  commo- 
tion behind,  but  he  never  looked  around.  As  he  passed 
out  of  the  entrance,  a  pistol  shot  rang  out,  and  he  felt  the 
mortar  dust  fly  against  his  neck.  It  showed  the  remark- 
able confidence  and  intimacy  Buck  had  come  to  have  with 
the  sea  that,  like  a  flash,  instead  of  dashing  across  the 
fields,  he  turned  for  safety  to  the  water.  It  was  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.  He  had  covered  about  a  hun- 
dred yards,  when  a  buzz  passed  by  his  ear,  a  pistol  shot 
rang  out,  then  another,  and  he  felt  his  trousers  flap  along 
the  side  of  his  thigh ;  then  another  buzz,  then  another  shot, 
as  his  flannel  shirt  lifted  on  his  shoulder,  and  another  as 
his  cap  flew  off  in  front.  The  shots  ceased.  He  glanced 
over  his  shoulder.  The  pirate  captain  was  in  hot  pur- 
suit, only  about  fifty  yards  behind,  while  the  others, 
strung  out  farther,  had  their  pistols  in  hand,  waiting  for 
a  chance  to  fire  by  the  captain.  Buck  gave  a  spurt  at  his 
highest  speed,  but  barely  held  his  own.  He  realized  that 
the  pirate  must  be  a  powerful  athlete.  He  dashed  into 
the  shoal  water,  lifting  his  feet  high,  but  his  speed  fell 
almost  to  a  walk,  and  the  pirate  could  not  have  been 
twenty  paces  away  when  he  reached  the  water's  edge. 
"  If  he  had  a  shot  left  he'd  get  me  now,"  thought 
353 


354  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

Buck,  as  he  lunged  forward,  with  a  feeling  of  relief  as 
the  water  deepened.  Looking  over  his  shoulder,  he  saw 
the  pirate  stripping.  At  that  Buck  stopped  and  quickly 
stripped  to  his  skin,  losing  time,  however,  in  releasing  his 
leggings ;  and  when  he  started  up  the  pirate  was  not  fifteen 
yards  away,  plunging  ahead  through  the  knee-deep  water, 
with  a  long  knife  in  his  hand.  Buck  drew  into  the  deeper 
water  first,  which  slackened  his  progress  and  shortened 
the  distance  between  them.  When  the  water  was  about 
his  waist,  he  began  to  swim,  giving  a  good  kick  on  the  bot- 
tom every  other  stroke.  The  pirate  did  likewise.  Soon 
Buck's  foot  failed  to  hit  bottom,  and  he  struck  out  with 
his  strongest  overhand  stroke.  He  looked  around  to  see 
what  stroke  the  pirate  had.  To  his  horror  he  saw  the 
pirate,  with  his  knife  in  his  teeth,  plowing  ahead  with 
Casey's  great  stroke,  gaming  every  minute.  Closer  and 
closer  he  came. 

Without  warning,  Buck  dived,  and  when  well  under 
water,  turned  his  course  sharp  to  the  right.  A  long  dive; 
and  when  he  came  up  the  pirate  had  passed  on,  and  he 
had  gained  at  least  fifteen  yards.  The  pirate  turned 
quickly  and  started  toward  him  with  increased  speed. 
When  about  ten  yards  away,  Buck  dived  again,  and  this 
time  went  under  water  to  the  left,  and  gained  about  fifteen 
yards  as  before.  He  felt  a  little  relieved;  but  suddenly 
the  water  splashed  about  a  foot  from  his  face.  He  knew 
it  was  a  bullet  before  he  heard  the  crack  of  a  rifle,  which 
followed. 

"  They  fight  foul,"  he  muttered.    "  The  curs!  " 

The  pirate  started  the  pursuit  again.  Soon  there  was 
another  shot;  this  time  the  bullet  passed  just  over  his 
head,  a  wonderful  shot. 

Buck  now  swam  so  as  to  bring  his  pursuer  between 
himself  and  the  riflemen,  and  the  bullets  stopped;  but 


BUCK  FIGHTS  UNDER  WATER  355 

the  knife  came  closer  and  closer.  Buck  looked  over  his 
shoulder.  It  was  a  hideous  sight — the  bearded  face, 
drawn  into  contortions,  with  the  long  knife  between  the 
canine  teeth.  He  waited  till  there  were  scarcely  ten  yards 
between,  then  he  quietly  dived. 

This  time  he  turned  to  the  rear,  and  swam  backward, 
watching  the  powerful  swimmer  slacken  his  great  stroke. 
The  water  was  as  clear  as  crystal.  He  could  see  every 
curve  in  the  herculean  body  as  it  drew  over  him,  the  pi- 
rate looking  first  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left. 

Quietly  but  swiftly  Buck  rose,  reached  up  with  his 
left  hand,  seized  the  pirate's  beard,  and  jerked  down  and 
backward  with  all  his  might.  The  head  came  under, 
mouth  open,  and  the  pirate  strangled;  but  the  jaw  did  not 
let  go  the  knife.  Buck  grabbed  for  it  with  his  right  hand, 
but  too  late;  the  pirate  got  it  first,  and  drew  back  for  a 
thrust.  Buck  seized  his  wrist.  He  tried  to  wrench  it 
away,  and  brought  his  left  hand  into  the  struggle.  Buck 
let  go  the  beard,  and  brought  his  left  hand  to  reenforce  his 
right.  He  felt  the  spasms  passing  through  the  giant's 
frame  from  the  strangling,  and  the  effort  to  bring  up  to 
the  surface  to  get  air. 

Buck  held  tight  and  watched.  Just  as  they  reached 
the  surface,  he  threw  his  head  and  shoulders  out,  pushed 
the  pirate's  head  downward,  and  they  went  down  with 
an  impetus.  Buck  got  a  good  breath  himself,  but  the 
pirate's  head  never  had  reached  the  surface.  The  man 
tried  to  bring  his  knees  up  to  prize  Buck  loose,  but  Buck 
lurched,  as  in  gymnasium  tumbling,  and  got  across  the 
pirate's  shoulders,  then  slid  down  on  his  back  and  clinched 
his  legs  around  his  body  under  the  armpits,  producing  a 
severe  wrench  of  his  wrists  at  the  same  time,  the  knife 
being  now  held  by  the  four  hands,  above  the  pirate's  head. 
Suddenly  they  touched  bottom.  The  man  bent  his  knees 


356  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

and  gave  a  great  shove  that  sent  them  clear  to  the  sur- 
face. Buck  rose  out  of  the  water,  head  and  shoulders, 
but  just  before  the  pirate's  head  came  out,  he  lurched 
over,  and  they  went  down  again.  Buck  felt  the  man's 
strength  weakening.  He  gradually  forced  his  hands 
downward  and  backward;  the  point  of  the  knife  touched 
his  breast. 

Buck's  whole  nature  recoiled  at  the  thought  of  kill- 
ing his  enemy.  Each  moment  the  pirate  thought  would 
be  his  last.  Utterly  surprised  at  the  clemency  of  his  ad- 
versary, he  relaxed  his  hold  on  the  knife.  Buck  did  not 
try  to  catch  it  as  it  fell  from  his  hand  and  sank,  but  re- 
laxed his  hold,  swam  away  under  water,  then  rose  and 
struck  out  for  the  open  bay.  He  looked  back  and  saw 
the  pirate  come  up  and  vomit,  and  then  turn  on  his  back 
and  start,  evidently  exhausted,  for  the  shore. 

Buck  had  made  probably  two  hundred  yards  before 
the  pirates  on  the  beach  recovered  from  their  consterna- 
tion over  the  fate  of  their  leader.  Then  a  bullet  splashed 
by  his  head.  He  looked  back  to  estimate  the  distance 
and  the  chance  of  being  hit,  and  saw  the  pirate  captain 
wave  his  hand  to  the  rifleman  to  stop  firing.  On  Buck 
swam,  heading  straight  for  the  south.  It  was  about  sun- 
down when  he  saw  the  pirates  disappear  into  the  old  build- 
ing. Then  he  changed  his  course  to  the  westward,  went 
ashore  and  crossed  Greenbury  Keck,  then  swam  Carr's 
Creek,  then  Little  Carr's  Creek.  He  was  so  badly 
scratched  in  getting  across  Greenbury  Neck  that  he  waded 
the  rest  of  the  way  along  the  water's  edge,  out  by  the 
Buoy  Depot,  then  down  till  opposite  the  Santee's  wharf, 
when  he  struck  across  with  a  good  stroke.  It  was  about 
ten  o'clock  when  he  reached  the  wharf.  Here  he  secured 
the  underclothes  of  the  sentry.  They  were  woefully 
small  and  badly  torn,  but  he  put  them  on  and  hurried  on 


BUCK  FIGHTS  UNDER  WATER  357 

to  the  Superintendent's  house.  He  was  in  the  midst  of  his 
recommendations,  when  the  Superintendent's  wife  came 
in,  uttered  an  exclamation,  and  rushed  out.  The  Super- 
intendent smiled.  Buck  looked  innocent;  he  had  forgot- 
ten about  his  remarkable  uniform,  so  absorbed  was  he 
in  the  plans  he  had  worked  out  The  Superintendent  ap- 
proved them  all. 

"  The  Captain  Kidd  will  probably  get  away  by  sun- 
up. "We'll  have  to  rush  things  on  the  Standish." 

By  3:30  in  the  morning  Buck  sent  up  word  to  the 
Superintendent  that  they  were  all  ready,  and  only  waiting 
for  the  commanding  officer.  The  Superintendent  came 
down  and  made  a  rapid  inspection. 

"  You  may  command,  Mr.  Jones,  and  get  under  way 
as  soon  as  you  are  ready.  Use  your  own  judgment." 

Buck  flushed  crimson  with  the  pride  he  felt  at  the 
confidence  thus  reposed  in  him.  The  only  commissioned 
officer  sent  out  was  the  surgeon.  By  daylight  he  was  out 
in  the  bay,  steaming  slowly  up  and  down  in  front  of  the 
mouth  of  Mill  Creek;  and  a  crowd  had  gathered  on  the 
dome  of  the  State  Capitol,  watching  with  glasses.  Shortly 
after  sun-up,  Buck  and  the  crew  of  the  Standish  were  put 
on  edge  by  seeing  smoke  rising  back  up  Mill  Creek,  and 
soon  the  Captain  Kidd  appeared.  Buck  was  heading  to 
the  southwest,  and  the  Captain  Kidd  turned  to  the  south 
when  clear  of  the  shoals.  Buck  waited  till  she  was  about 
two  thousand  yards  away,  then  hoisted  a  signal  for  her 
to  surrender.  She  appeared  not  to  understand,  and  slowed 
down,  as  if  to  make  an  inquiry;  but  Buck  saw  through 
his  glasses  that  they  were  really  clearing  ship  for  action, 
and  he  called  the  six-pounder's  gun  crew  to  quarters.  He 
had  selected  Catell  for  the  gun  captain,  Knowlton  for 
Number  Two,  and  all  the  posts  were  filled  by  his  class- 
mates, as  he  had  requested  of  the  Superintendent 


358  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

It  would  have  been  proper  tactics  to  steam  ahead  fast 
and  capture  the  vessel  before  her  gun  could  be  mounted; 
but  Buck  had  been  so  stirred  by  the  words  of  the  cap- 
tain of  the  pirates  that  he  decided  to  give  him  a  chance  to 
make  good  his  boast  that  he  would  sink  the  Standish  on 
sight.  The  two  vessels  had  drawn  to  within  about  fifteen 
hundred  yards.  The  guns  were  trained.  The  crews  were 
holding  hi  till  the  order. 

"  Fire  across  her  bow !  "  Buck  ordered. 

Catell  fired.  The  enemy  replied  by  running  up  the 
black  flag  and  firing  a  shot  across  the  Standish's  bow. 
The  next  minute  they  fired  almost  together.  The  shot 
from  the  pirate  crashed  through  the  deck  house  of  the 
Standish,  and  exploded  just  beyond,  while  the  shot  from 
the  Siandish  passed  over  the  mark. 

"  Aim  low,  Catell.  Range,  twelve  hundred  yards — 
A  good  shot!  Train  on  the  water  line  abreast  the  engine 
room." 

Just  as  Buck  finished  this  order,  a  shell  struck  the 
bulwark,  and  a  big  piece  of  the  deck  rail  swept  down  three 
of  his  gun's  crew. 

"  Do  double  duty  on  the  gun.  In  no  case  allow  the 
fire  to  slacken.  That  shot  went  in  near  the  water  line. 
Let  them  have  another  like  it.  Range,  one  thousand 
yards." 

Buck  was  gradually  drawing  astern  of  the  pirate.  The 
pirate  was  unsuspecting,  thinking  that  the  oblique  move- 
ment was  simply  to  shorten  the  range.  Buck  pulled  three 
bells;  the  vessel  began  to  back. 

"  Hard  astarboard!  " 

Then  in  a  few  minutes  he  pulled  four  bells,  for  full 
speed  ahead. 

"Hardaport!" 

Before    the   pirate   knew   what   was   happening,    the 


BUCK  FIGHTS  UNDER  WATER  359 

Standish  swung  by,  before  she  could  be  raked,  and 
steamed  into  the  zone  where  the  enemy's  gun  could  not 
train. 

"  Let  him  have  it  hard — before  he  can  get  around ! 
Train  on  his  stern  port;  range,  seven  hundred  yards." 

Fast  and  furious  was  the  fire  of  the  Standish,  with 
no  reply  from  the  pirate,  who  began  to  turn  with  a  full 
helm  to  bring  his  gun  to  bear  again.  Suddenly  she  ceased 
turning.  Buck  saw  through  his  glasses  that  there  was 
great  commotion  in  the  pilot  house. 

"  We've  shot  away  her  steering  gear,"  he  called  out. 
"  Keep  up  a  heavy  fire!  Range,  five  hundred  yards." 

The  gun  was  served  with  extraordinary  rapidity  and 
precision,  and  shot  followed  shot,  crashing  through  the 
pirate,  passing  from  stern  to  stem.  Buck  saw  a  great 
blast  of  steam  come  up  from  her  boiler  hatch,  and  sud- 
denly her  engines  stopped. 

"  Cease  firing !  "  he  ordered,  as  he  steamed  up  slowly 
toward  the  enemy,  now  lying  at  his  mercy. 

"Are  you  ready  to  strike?"  he  called  out  through 
the  megaphone. 

A  bullet  crashed  through  the  rim  of  the  megaphone 
for  reply. 

"  Open  fire,  Catell!     Range,  two  hundred  yards." 

The  pirate  replied  with  the  small  arms.  The  man  at 
the  helm  received  a  bullet  in  the  shoulder.  A  bullet 
passed  through  Buck's  cap.  The  shells  from  the  Standish 
were  riddling  the  pirate  fore  and  aft.  A  fire  broke  out 
on  board.  The  small-arm  firing  ceased. 

"  Cease  firing!  Stand  by  to  board!  Keep  down  be- 
low the  rail !  " 

Buck  steered  up  quickly,  backed,  as  his  bow  ap- 
proached the  quarter  of  the  pirate,  and  came  up  alongside. 
The  crew  leaped  upon  the  deck  and  dashed  through.  As 


360  BUCK  JONES  AT   ANNAPOLIS 

the  head  man  reached  the  bridge  deck,  a  pistol  shot  rang 
almost  in  his  face.  Dashing  behind  the  pilot  house,  he 
found  the  captain  of  the  pirates,  dying  by  his  own  hand. 
All  the  rest  of  the  crew  were  already  dead. 

Buck  towed  the  pirate  into  the  harbor.  Upon  land- 
ing, the  Superintendent  directed  him  to  form  the  battalion 
and  march  out  to  the  Capitol.  The  legislature  of  Mary- 
land, in  summer  session,  had  adjourned  to  the  dome  to 
witness  the  duel;  and,  by  the  time  the  battalion  reached 
the  Capitol,  had  passed  a  vote  of  thanks,  and  had  voted  a 
handsome  sword  to  each  of  the  cadets  and  the  crew  of 
the  Standish  taking  part,  giving  the  names. 


CHAPTER  XXY 

BUCK  DODGES  GLORY  BUT  IS  CAUGHT 

AUGUST  was  a  hot  month  that  year,  and  the  Ath- 
letic Association  was  surprised  when,  early  in  the 
month,  Buck  proposed  to  begin  football  work. 

"  Not  for  the  brawn  part,  but  for  the  head  part,"  he 
said. 

The  fact  is  that  Buck  brought  his  head  to  bear  upon 
every  proposition.  Even  excitement  and  danger  could 
not  perturb  the  clear  working  of  his  mind.  The  secret 
of  his  ultimate  success  in  his  undertakings  was  his  com- 
bination of  good  thinking  with  the  habit  of  tireless,  in- 
defatigable, unrelenting  hard  work.  He  thought  out  the 
best  plan,  and  then  he  never  let  up  in  working  it  out. 
Such  a  combination,  humanly  speaking,  is  irresistible. 
Appreciating  that  the  Annapolis  cadets  were  younger  and 
lighter  than  the  students  in  other  colleges,  he  saw  that 
they  must  win  by  superior  team  work,  and  by  using  their 
heads  during  a  game. 

"  We  are  too  light  to  keep  them  from  scoring,  but 
they  can't  keep  us  from  scoring,  either,"  he  said. 

When  they  elected  him  captain,  he  decided  to  play 
half  back,  instead  of  guard,  so  that  he  could  direct  bet- 
ter. He  entered  upon  a  line  of  correspondence  that 
ended  by  arranging  a  game  not  only  with  Princeton  and 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  but  with  Harvard  and 
Yale,  and  finally  with  West  Point.  This  last  electrified 
24  361 


362  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

both  the  Army  and  the  Navy.  Letters  of  congratulation 
and  encouragement  came  pouring  in  from  ships  in  all 
parts  of  the  world.  Because  of  December  graduation,  all 
the  games  were  arranged  to  be  played  at  Annapolis,  the 
game  with  West  Point  to  be  the  last.  Buck  got  in  over  a 
month  of  team  work  and  practice  in  "  head  work  "  before 
the  hard  physical  work  began. 

The  first  "  big "  game  was  with  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania;  Annapolis  won,  11  to  6. 

"  I  can't  account  for  it,"  said  Penn's  captain.  "  We 
never  thought  it  possible.  We  are  nearly  twenty  pounds 
heavier,  and  can  eat  them  up.  It  is  true,"  he  added,  re- 
flectively, "  they  did  a  lot  of  head  work,  and  played  to- 
gether. They  play  a  mighty  clean  game." 

The  next  big  game  was  with  Harvard;  Annapolis  beat, 
6  to  4.  This  was  the  telegram  to  Cambridge: 

"  Team  work,  brilliant  plays,  and  good  luck  beat  us. 
They  couldn't  do  it  again  in  a  hundred  years.  They  are 
clean.  Must  have  return  game." 

Princeton  was  next.  Annapolis  beat,  12  to  10 — two 
touchdowns  each,  but  Princeton  missed  one  goal. 

"  They  were  so  little  they  slipped  between  our  legs." 

"  Those  two  flukes  we  made  were  fatal." 

"  It  was  luck." 

Such  were  the  theories  of  the  Princeton  men. 

"  I  don't  understand  it.  I'd  give  ten  years  out  of 
toy  life  to  have  it  over.  Luck  certainly  followed  them," 
said  the  captain. 

"  Luck  favors  the  side  that  uses  its  head,"  remarked 
a  Princeton  professor  who  happened  to  be  standing 
near. 

The  football  enthusiasts  of  the  country  at  first  put 
Annapolis's  victories  down  to  flukes  on  the  part  of  their 
opponents,  and  to  good  luck;  but  now  they  began  to 


BUCK  DODGES  GLORY  BUT  IS  CAUGHT     363 

search  for  the  secret,  examining  the  tables  of  weights, 
ages,  number  of  years  of  playing,  but  could  find  no  ex- 
planation. The  mystery  only  thickened,  when  the  score 
with  Yale  was:  Annapolis  12,  Yale  12. 

"  Team  work,  brilliant  plays,  and  luck — very  clean," 
was  the  laconic  message  sent  to  New  Haven. 

It  is  not  surprising  that  the  eyes  of  football  lovers 
all  over  the  world  were  turned  to  the  Navy-Army  game. 
Enthusiasts  came  from  the  Pacific  Coast.  The  President 
of  the  United  States  and  most  of  his  Cabinet  came;  all 
the  foreign  ambassadors  were  there;  even  staid  justices  of 
the  Supreme  Court  had  been  taken  up  in  the  enthusiasm. 
Both  houses  of  Congress  adjourned  after  attending  to 
routine  business,  and  came  down  on  a  special  train.  It 
was  beyond  comparison  the  most  brilliant  gathering  ever 
seen  in  America. 

The  first  half  of  the  game,  the  Army  made  a  touch- 
down; but  as  Buck  saw  the  touchdown  coming,  he  hurled 
his  whole  team  and  threw  them  almost  over  to  the  side 
line.  The  goal  was  consequently  very  difficult,  and  they 
missed.  This  did  not  dampen  the  enthusiasm,  however, 
for  the  Army  band  struck  up  a  triumphal  march,  and  the 
Army  shouters  went  wild.  The  Superintendent  crossed 
over,  with  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  to  the  Army  side, 
where  the  President  had  sat  during  the  first  half,  with 
the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  Superintendent  of  West 
Point. 

"  Mr.  President,  your  presence  on  the  Army  side  has 
been  too  much  for  our  team.  With  your  transfer  to  our 
side,  we  shall  expect  to  win  in  the  second  half." 

"  Admiral,  I'll  appoint  you  an  ambassador  when  you 
retire.  I  have  always  maintained  that  our  naval  officers 
are  the  best  diplomats  in  the  world." 

All  the  group  laughed,  and  the  Navy  gave  three  rous- 


364  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

ing  cheers,  and  the  Navy  band  played  "  Hail  to  the  Chief," 
as  the  President  crossed  over  to  the  Navy  side! 

When  the  second  half  was  called,  Buck  and  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Army  team  came  out  arm  in  arm,  laughing,  evi- 
dently already  the  best  of  friends,  and  the  teams  were 
fraternizing  as  teams  had  never  been  seen  to  do  before. 
The  Superintendent  left  the  President  for  a  moment,  and 
came  down  to  speak  to  Buck: 

"What  are  the  chances,  Mr.  Jones?" 

"  I'm  afraid  the  chances  are  against  us,  sir.  They 
are  using  their  heads.  They  try  but  one  simple  play, 
using  their  greater  weight  to  make  their  distance,  with- 
out running  any  risk  of  our  getting  the  ball." 

"  But  I  have  promised  the  President  that  we  would 
win  when  he  came  over  to  our  side." 

Buck  smiled. 

The  Navy  kicked  off,  and  downed  the  Army  at  its 
twenty-yard  line. 

"  Never  lose  a  point,  and  fight  every  inch,"  Buck 
called  out. 

"  Don't  let  the  Navy  get  the  ball,"  called  out  the  Army 
captain. 

For  sixty  yards  the  Army  advanced  the  ball  yard  by 
yard,  with  a  simple,  massed  play.  Suddenly,  Buck  leaped 
into  the  place  of  the  guard  and  stopped  a  third  down,  with 
still  a  yard  to  gain. 

"  The  Navy's  ball !  " 

There  was  a  series  of  quick,  dashing  plays,  in  which 
the  Navy  carried  the  ball  back  forty  yards ;  but  "  Mac," 
the  Army's  famous  sprinter,  stopped  each  breakaway,  and 
the  ball  then  passed  back  to  the  Army  on  a  third  down. 
The  Army  again  took  up  its  tortoise  strategy;  yard  by 
yard  they  worked  down  the  field.  '  v 

"  It's  not  exciting,"  said  the  Superintendent  to  the 


BUCK  DODGES  GLORY   BUT  IS  CAUGHT  365 

President,  "  but  our  captain  told  me  that  was  West  Point's 
winning  strategy.  They  get  advantage  of  their  heavier 
weight,  and  shut  out  our  chances  for  brilliant  plays." 

"  It's  a  case  of  Greek  meeting  Greek,  Admiral,"  re- 
plied the  President,  with  keen  relish. 

West  Point  was  still  ten  yards  from  the  Annapolis 
goal  line,  and  but  ten  minutes  remained  to  play. 

"  One  more  touchdown !  "  called  the  Army's  captain, 
and  they  began  to  play  faster. 

Five  yards  more,  and  five  minutes  remained. 

"  Over  with  it — over  with  it !  "  said  the  Army  captain 
impetuously. 

"  Steady,  steady,"  said  Buck  to  his  men,  as  he  came 
up  on  the  line.  "  The  President  is  watching  you.  Not 
an  inch!  " 

Twice  the  Army  fell,  as  if  it  had  struck  a  stone  wall. 

"  The  Navy's  ball !     Three  minutes  to  play !  " 

"  Steady,  steady,"  said  Buck,  as  he  dropped  back,  as 
though  to  kick. 

Instead  he  hurdled  the  line  at  the  center,  shook  off  two 
men,  hurdled  a  third,  dodged  a  fourth,  outran  a  fifth  that 
tried  to  head  him  off.  A  sixth  was  pressing  him  close;  he 
lost  time  in  dodging  the  full  back,  about  the  middle  of  the 
field,  and  his  pursuer  gained. 

"  That  Army  man  is  the  swiftest  man  in  America," 
said  some  one  near  the  President. 

The  President  stood  up  on  his  chair.  The  two  men 
passed  near.  Buck  soon  realized  that  his  pursuer  was 
faster.  It  was  "  Mac."  He  watched  him  over  his  shoul- 
der. When  he  reached  out  with  his  hands,  Buck  skinned 
his  back  in  and  swerved  a  little  and  passed  clear;  again 
he  reached  for  him;  again  Buck  slipped  clear.  The  speed 
of  the  two  was  terrific.  A  dead  silence  reigned  ove&the 
thousands.  They  held  their  breath. 


366  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Mac  will  get  him.  Don't  you  worry,"  said  the 
Superintendent  of  West  Point  to  the  Secretary  of 
War. 

"  I  doubt  it." 

"  He's  never  missed  a  man  yet." 

Again  he  raked,  and  again.  His  fingers  would  scrape 
Buck's  back,  but  not  get  a  hold. 

"  Drive  him  over  the  side  line!  " 

"Over  the  side  line!" 

"  Over  the  side  line !  "  came  the  shout  from  the  Army 
side,  as  the  distance  shortened  and  Mac  still  had  no  hold. 
Mac  acted  on  the  advice.  He  stopped  raking,  made  a 
burst  of  speed  up  to  abreast  Buck.  Buck  had  to  ease  off. 
He  pressed  him;  Buck  eased  off  farther.  He  knew  the 
side  line  was  but  a  few  yards  off,  but  he  dared  not  take 
his  eye  off  of  his  pursuer.  Right  up  to  within  a  foot  of 
the  side  line  he  came,  then  lowered  his  head  and  refused 
to  go  farther.  Mac  pushed,  but  was  afraid  to  try  to 
tackle;  Buck  pushed — for  twenty  yards  the  two  runners 
ran  and  pushed.  Buck  ducked  his  head  very  low.  Mac 
stooped  also.  A  wonderful  sight  it  was — both  men  using 
the  utmost  of  brawn,  and  yet  struggling  hardest  with  their 
brains. 

"  Try  him!    Try  him!     Throw  your  weight  at  him!  " 

Mac  saw  the  last  five-yard  line  approaching.  As  they 
crossed,  he  made  his  tackle.  Buck  expected  it,  knew  he 
could  not  dodge  it,  stooped  low  and  threw  his  entire  weight 
the  other  way.  Mac's  arms  circled  his  shoulders;  Buck 
carried  him  on.  They  slipped  to  his  waist ;  still  Buck  held 
his  feet  and  dragged  on.  They  slipped  to  his  feet;  Buck 
fell,  holding  the  ball  out  at  arm's  length,  and  placed  it 
on  the  ground,  one  foot  over  the  goal  line,  just  inside  the 
side  line.  A  run  of  one  hundred  and  seven  yards!  A 
mighty  shout  went  up.  One  half  minute  to  play!  Like 


BUCK  DODGES  GLORY  BUT  IS  CAUGHT     367 

a  flash  Buck  was  on  his  feet.  He  did  not  wait  for  the 
others,  aimed,  allowing  for  the  wind  in  the  oblique  kick. 

He  was  breathing  through  his  nose,  and  seemed  as 
calm  and  deliberate  as  if  practicing;  but  not  a  second  was 
wasted. 

"It  is  impossible,"  said  the  President. 

He  kicked.    The  ball  rose,  tumbling  end  over  end. 

"  It  will  go  to  the  right,"  thought  the  umpire,  who 
had  gotten  in  position,  panting.  "  No — the  wind  is  bring- 
ing it  in." 

Straight  between  the  goal  posts  it  fell,  and  just  after 
it  bounced  the  whistle  blew. 

Pandemonium  was  let  loose.  The  President  whirled 
his  hat  in  the  air.  The  Cabinet  shouted.  Dignified  offi- 
cers and  professors  became  boys  again.  The  Army  joined 
in.  Both  bands  began  to  play.  A  column  formed — the 
Army  and  Navy  together.  Around  and  around  the  field 
they  surged,  singing  national  hymns. 

The  moment  Buck  kicked  the  goal  he  went  for  his 
sweater,  put  it  on,  and  slipped  through  the  end  crowd. 

"  Where's  Jones?  Where's  Jones? "  demanded  a 
horde  of  cadets,  coming  down. 

"  There  he  goes,  out  there !  " 

They  put  out  in  pursuit.  They  ran  Buck  to  the  sea 
wall.  There  happened  to  be  a  rowboat  there,  whose 
owner  had  gone  ashore  in  his  enthusiasm.  Buck  jumped 
in  and  shoved  off  just  as  the  eager  pursuers  were  about  to 
catch  him.  He  pulled  out,  laughing  and  bantering  them. 

"  If  you  get  me  you've  got  to  catch  me !  " 

The  cadets  were  not  to  be  outdone.  They  rushed  out 
to  Burgesses's  and  jumped  into  his  rowboats  and  started 
in  pursuit. 

As  soon  as  the  President  regained  his  composure,  he 
asked  for  Buck. 


368  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  Tell  Mr.  Jones  to  come  here  at  once.  The  President 
wants  him,"  directed  the  Superintendent. 

The  orderly  soon  came  back. 

"  Mr.  Jones  has  taken  to  the  water,  sir.  They  are 
trying  to  catch  him  now.  There  they  are !  " 

The  President  roared  as  he  saw  the  race  out  on  the 
bay.  Soon  everybody  saw  it. 

"On  to  the  cutters!  " 

Officers  and  cadets  alike  surged  down  to  the  boat- 
house.  The  cutters  were  all  there  ready  from  the  recent 
drill.  They  piled  in.  Old  officers  pulled  oars  alongside 
of  plebes.  Army  cadets  and  officers  went  along.  The 
President  and  members  of  his  Cabinet  went  with  the  Su- 
perintendent to  his  rear  piazza,  where  they  watched  the 
pursuit.  The  crowd  remained  to  watch  it  from  the 
grounds.  Buck  couldn't  understand  it,  as  he  saw  a  regu- 
lar flotilla  shoving  off.  On  he  pulled.  He  held  his  own 
with  the  rowboats;  but  the  first  cutter  to  get  off  began  to 
gain  on  him,  though  he  had  three  quarters  of  a  mile  the 
start.  The  cutter  passed  one  row-boat  after  another. 
About  abreast  the  lighthouse,  she  came  in  speaking  dis- 
tance of  Buck. 

"  Have  you  struck,  sir?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  have  just  begun  to  fight,  sir." 

All  laughed,  and  Buck  pulled  on. 

"  We  demand  an  unconditional  surrender,"  said  the 
coxswain  of  the  cutter,  as  his  bow  drew  up  to  the  stern 
of  the  rowboat. 

"  Not  while  there's  a  man  left  on  board." 

"Stand  by  to  board!" 

At  this  point,  the  President,  looking  through  his 
glasses,  caught  the  Superintendent's  arm. 

"They  have  overtaken  him — they  are  boarding!  By 
jingo!  He's  gone  overboard!  The  others  have  gone  over- 


BUCK  DODGES  GLORY  BUT  IS  CAUGHT     369 

board  after  him!  He's  diving — the  boat  heads  him  off! 
They've  got  him!  Admiral,  this  makes  me  a  boy  again. 
It'll  add  another  year  to  my  life !  " 

There  never  was  such  a  triumphal  march  as  that  re- 
turn to  the  Academy.  It  gave  a  vent  to  the  boundless  en- 
thusiasm of  the  victory,  and  the  great  love  and  respect 
all  had  for  Buck. 

"  A  model  game  it  was — plucky  game,  brain  and 
brawn  put  to  the  limit,  but  clean  as  ivory — immaculate," 
said  the  referee,  with  enthusiasm. 

The  Superintendent  suspended  the  regulations  till 
church  formation  next  morning.  A  great  ball  was  given 
to  the  Army  that  night.  The  Academy  had  never  seen 
such  a  celebration  since  its  foundation.  The  President's 
enthusiasm  was  so  great  that  he  canceled  an  important 
engagement  and  remained  over  and  delivered  the  diplo- 
mas to  Buck's  class. 

We  unconsciously  come  to  love  a  place  in  proportion 
to  our  character  growth  while  there.  The  course  at  the 
I^aval  Academy  is  necessarily  a  hard  grind,  and  Buck, 
like  his  classmates,  for  two  months  in  advance,  had  been 
counting  the  days  till  graduation;  but  now  that  the  time 
was  at  hand,  the  thought  of  leaving  stirred  the  depths  of 
his  heart,  and  he  looked  out  over  the  familiar  scenes  with 
a  new  tenderness;  over  the  buildings  and  monuments,  the 
lawns,  the  trees,  the  walks,  and  the  shimmering  waters 
of  the  bay  and  river.  Everything  seemed  to  smile  and 
say  "  Good-by.  God  speed  you  in  your  career,"  and  he 
realized  that  he  loved  every  spot,  every  stone  in  the 
place. 

Catell  and  Knowlton  were  waiting  for  Buck  to  come 
with  the  mail,  which  they  expected  to  bring  their  orders, 
before  starting  for  the  train. 


370  BUCK  JONES  AT  ANNAPOLIS 

"  I  can't  get  over  the  funny  way  we  caught  him  after 
the  game/'  said  Knowlton  with  a  laugh. 

"  You  might  have  known,"  said  Catell,  "  that  he 
would  end  it  up  on  the  water.  He's  in  league  with  the 
sea." 

Buck  came  running  up. 

"  Our  requests  have  been  granted.  We  all  three  go 
to  the  Oregon,  and  what  is  more,  Preble  has  gotten  a  com- 
mission in  the  Marine  Corps,  and  is  to  go  to  the  Oregon 
with  us." 

This  made  Buck's  happiness  complete,  and  as  the  train 
pulled  out  he  realized,  with  exultation,  that  he  was  off 
for  stirring  scenes  under  the  flag,  in  the  service  of  his 
country;  but  nevertheless  a  lump  came  in  his  throat  as 
he  looked  out  of  the  window  for  the  last  glimpses,  just 
as  he  had  looked  out,  as  a  candidate,  for  the  first  glimpses; 
and  as  the  clock  tower  disappeared,  he  said  half  to  him- 
self, half  to  Catell: 

"  The  dear  old  Naval  Academy !  " 


(i) 


THE    END 


YOUNG  HEROES  OF  OUR  NAVY. 

NEW   VOLUME. 

With  the  Flag  in  the  Channel. 

The  Adventures    of  Captain    Gustavus   Conyngham.      By  JAMES 
BARNES.     Illustrated.     i2mo.     Cloth,  f  i  oo. 


OTHER   VOLUMES   IN   THE   SERIES. 
Illustrated.     I2mo.     Each,  $1.00. 

Reuben  James. 

A  Hero  of  the  Forecastle.     By  CYRUS  TOWNSEND  BRADY,  Author 
of  "  Paul  Jones."     Illustrated  by  George  Gibbs  and  others. 

The  Hero  of  Manila. 

Dewey  on  the  Mississippi  and  the  Pacific.    By  ROSSITER  JOHNSON. 
Illustrated  by  B.  West  Clinedinst  and  others. 

The  Hero  of  Erie   (Commodore  Perry). 

By  JAMES  BARNES,  Author  of  "  Midshipman  Farragut,"  "Commo- 
dore Bainbridge,"  etc.     With  10  full-page  Illustrations. 

Commodore  Bainbridge. 

From   the  Gunroom   to   the   Quarter-deck.     By  JAMES  BARNES 
Illustrated  by  George  Gibbs  and  others. 

Midshipman  Farragut. 

By  JAMES  BARNES.     Illustrated  by  Carlton  F.  Chapman. 

Decatur  and  Somers. 

By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWELL.    With  6  full-page  Illustrations  by 
J.  O.  Davidson  and  others. 

Paul  Jones. 

By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWELL.    With  8  full-page  Illustrations. 

Midshipman  Paulding. 

A  True  Story  of  the  War  of  1812.     By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWELL. 
With  6  full-page  Illustrations. 

Little  Jarvis. 

The  Story  of  the  Heroic  Midshipman  of  the  Frigate  Constellation. 
By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEAWELL.     With  6  full-page  Illustrations. 

D.    APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,     NEW    YORK. 


BY  RALPH   HENRY  BARBOUR. 
The  Spirit  of  the  School. 

The  story  of  a  boy  who  works  his  way  through  school.     Illustrated 
in  Colors.      Cloth,  $1.50. 

Four  Afloat. 
Four  Afoot. 
Four  in  Camp. 

A  series  of  books  relating  the  adventures  of  four  boy  companions. 
Illustrated  in  Colors,  $1.50  each. 

On  Your  Mark ! 

A  Story  of  College  Life  and  Athletics.      Illustrated  in  Colors  b; 
C.  M.  RELYEA.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

No  other  author  has  caught  so  truly  the  spirit  of  school  and  college  life 

The  Arrival  of  Jimpsoh. 

Illustrated.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

Stories  of  college  pranks,  baseball,  football,  hockey,  and  college  life. 

The  Book  of  School  and  College  Sports. 

Fully  illustrated.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.75  net;  postage  additional. 

Weatherby's  Inning. 

A  Story  of  College  Life  and  Baseball.      Illustrated   in    Colors   by 
C.  M.  RELYEA.     i2mo.    Cloth,  $1.50. 

In  this  recent  book  Mr.  Barbour  tells  a  story  of  college  life  and  sport. 

Behind  the  Line. 

A  Story  of  School  and   Football.     Illustrated  by  C.  M.  RELYEA. 
I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

Captain  of  the  Crew. 

Illustrated  by  C.  M.  RELYEA.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

A  fresh,  graphic,  delightful  story  that  appeals  to  all  healthy  boys  and  girls. 

For  the  Honor  of  the  School. 

A  Story  of  School  Life  and   Interscholastic   Sport.     Illustrated   by 

C.  M.  RELYEA.     i2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

The  Half-Back. 

Illustrated  by  B.  WEST  CLINEDINST.     I2mo.     Cloth,  $1.50. 
"  It  is  in  every  sense  an  out-and-out  boys'  book." — Boston  Herald. 

D.  APPLETON     AND     COMPANY,     NEW     YORK. 


BY  WILLIAM  O.  STODDARD. 


Each  Illustrated.     121:10.     Cloth,  $1.50. 
The  Boy  Lincoln. 

This  is  an  absorbing  fanciful  account  of  the  early  days  of  Abraham  Lincoln  when 
he  was  a  boy  living  on  the  frontier. 

The  Fight  for  the  Valley. 

Colored  Frontispiece  and  other  Illustrations. 
A  narrative  of  the  brave  defense  of  Fort  Schuyler  and  the  battle  of  Oriskany. 

The  Spy  of  Yorktown. 
Colored  Frontispiece. 
A  story  of  the  Yorktown  campaign  and  Benedict  Arnold. 

With  the  Black  Prince. 

A  Story  of  Adventure  in  the  Fourteenth  Century. 

The  absorbing  interest  of  this  stirring  historical  romance  will  appeal  to  all  young 
readers. 

Success  Against   Odds;  or,  How  an  American  Boy  Made  his 
Way. 

In  this  spirited  and  interesting  story  Mr.  Stoddard  tells  the  adventures  of  a  plucky 
boy  who  fought  his  own  battles  and  made  his  way  upward  from  poverty  in  a  Long 
Island  seashore  town.  It  is  a  tale  of  pluck  and  self-reliance  capitally  told. 

The  Red  Patriot. 

A  Story  of  the  American  Revolution. 

The  Windfall ;  or,  After  the  Flood. 
Illustrated  by  B.  West  Clinedinst. 

Chris,  the  Model-Maker. 

A  Story  of  New  York.  With  6  full-paga  Illustrations  by  B.  West 
Clinedinst. 

On  the  Old  Frontier. 

With  10  full-page  Illustrations. 

The  Battle  of  New  York. 

With  ii  full-page  Illustrations  and  colored  Frontispiece. 

Little  Smoke. 

A  Story  of  the  Sioux  Indians.  With  12  full-page  Illustrations  by  F.  S.  Dellen- 
baugh,  portraits  of  Sitting  Bull,  Red  Cloud,  and  other  chiefs,  and  72  head  and  tail 
pieces  representing  the  various  implements  and  surroundings  of  Indian  life. 

Crowded  Out  o'  Crofield. 

With  23  Illustrations  by  C.  T.  Hill. 

The  story  of  a  country  boy  who  fought  his  way  to  success  in  the  #r««t  i>«tropoU* 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY,     NEW    YORK- 


BY  HF7FKIAH  BUTTERWORTH, 

The  Young  McKinley. 

IllustratedT    izmo.     Ornamental  Cloth,  $1.50. 

Mr.  Butterworth  portrays  the  future  President  at  school,  where,  after  a  bitter  dis- 
appointment, the  crusty  old  school-teacher,  who  has  a  good  heart  beneath  his  severe 
exterior,  says  to  him  :  "  Never  mind,  you  may  be  President  yet."  He  traces  President 
McKinley's  career  through  his  army  days  to  the  time  when  he  was  preparing  for  that 
great  political  career  which  made  the  blow  that  struck  him  down  at  the  height  of  his 
glory  a  blow  to  the  whole  United  States. 

Brother  Jonathan ;  or,  The  Alarm  Post  in  the  Cedars. 
A  Tale  of  Early  Connecticut.     Illustrated.     12010.     Cloth,  $1.50. 

In  the  Days  of  Audubon. 

A  Tale  of  the  "Protector  of  Birds,"  Illustrated  by  B.  West  Clinedinst 
and  others.  12010.  Cloth,  $1.50. 

In  the  Days  of  Jefferson ;  or,  The  Six  Golden  Horseshoes. 
A  Tale  of  Republican  Simplicity.     Illustrated  by  F.  T.  Merrill.    $1.50. 

The  Story  of  Magellan. 

A  Tale  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Philippines.  Illustrated  by  F.  T.  Merrill 
and  others.  $1.50. 

The  Treasure  Ship. 

A  Story  of  Sir  William  Phipps  and  the  Inter-Charter  Period  in  Massa- 
chusetts. Illustrated  by  B.  West  Clinedinst  and  others.  $1.50. 

The  Pilot  of  the  Mayflower. 

Illustrated  by  H.  Winthrop  Peirce  and  others.     $1.50. 

True  to  His  Home. 

A  Tale  of  the  Boyhood  of  Franklin.  Illustrated  by  H.  Winthrop  Peirce. 
$1.50. 

The  Wampum  Belt ;  or,  The  Fairest  Page  of  History. 

A  Tale  of  William  Penn's  Treaty  with  the  Indians.  With  6  full-page 
Illustrations.  $1.50. 

The  Knight  of  Liberty. 

A  Tale  of  the  Fortunes  of  Lafayette.    With  6  full-page  Illustrations.    $1.50. 

The  Patriot  Schoolmaster. 

A  Tale  of  the  Minutemen  and  the  Sons  of  Liberty.  With  6  full-page 
Illustrations  by  H.  Winthrop  Peirce.  $1.50. 

In  the  Boyhood  of  Lincoln. 

A  Story  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  and  the  Tunker  Schoolmaster.  Witn 
12  Illustrations  and  colored  Frontispiece.  $1.50. 

The  Boys  of  Greenway  Court. 

A  Story  of  the  Early  Years  of  Washington.  With  10  full-page  Illustra- 
tions. $1.50. 

The  Log  School-House  on  the  Columbia. 

With  13  full-page  Illustrations  by  J.  Carter  Beard,  E.  J.  Austen,  and 
others.  $1.50. 

D.  APPLETON  AND  COMPANY,  NEW  YORK. 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


<     ' 

MAR  3 11989 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FAC,LITY 


A    000110540     2 


